Baltimore drag racing wreaks havoc in community despite attempted city crackdown
Stunt drivers violated city laws over the weekend in Baltimore
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Drag racing and stunt driving in Baltimore remain issues of top concern, despite calls from city council members to heighten penalties for violators of the city's street racing laws.
Fox News Digital recently obtained exclusive footage of stunt driving in Baltimore from a patron of a nearby restaurant within steps of the reckless driving, where drivers were seen overtaking a public street on the corner of Lancaster Street and South Central Avenue.
The patron told Fox News Digital that a woman at the restaurant told him this isn't "uncommon" in the Baltimore neighborhood.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In July 2022, a Baltimore police officer responded to a drag racing incident that quickly turned violent. After rocks and bottles were reportedly thrown at the officer, he was sent to a hospital to be treated for his injuries, shining a light on the dangers of drag racing and reckless driving in the city.
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Stunt driving in Baltimore, April 2022. (Fox News Digital)
Fox News Digital reached out to Mayor Scott and City Council President Nick Mosby, asking about what action, if any, would be taken against these violators, but received no response.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Councilman Isaac "Yitzy" Schliefler of District 5 introduced a new council bill last summer to enforce stricter penalties for drag racers in the city. In October 2022, Democratic Mayor Brandon Scott signed the new legislation into law.
In response to the video, Schliefler told Fox News Digital that the "BPD is rolling out a presentation to all districts to inform the officers of the new law and how it should be enforced."
"Last time this behavior occurred in my district the individual who was doing the donuts received multiple citations and his car towed," he added.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}It is unclear why this presentation is being rolled out six months after the law was passed.
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"Council bill 22-0247 - Obstructing Street – Racing or Stunt Driving is NOW LAW! Baltimore City is now leading the charge to end this dangerous and disruptive behavior," Schliefler wrote in a Twitter post after the bill was signed into law.
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Fox News Digital reached out to the Baltimore Police Department about the stunt drivers doing donuts in the street, but a spokesperson said, "We have no information about this and will have to look into it."
According to the law office of Hillel Traub, a Maryland law office, the penalties for drag racing include "being placed under arrest, vehicle impoundment, criminal fines of up to $500, the suspension of your driver’s license, jail time and/or probation."