UPDATE: Police break up street-racer takeover on West Marginal

12:35 AM: Some asked about a big police response a little while ago in the West Marginal Way vicinity near the 1st Avenue South Bridge. That was because of a street-racer takeover after the racers met up at 2nd/Michigan.

(Added: Reader video from the resulting traffic blockage)
Police headed that way too and the gathering scattered, reportedly mostly heading south via 509. Now that they’ve dispersed, officers are returning to what they were doing previously – including, according to one directive, an Alki patrol.

12:41 AM: Now there’s a takeover with cars and spectators reported on the northbound 1st Ave. S. Bridge – again dispersing as soon as police came into view, this time reported to be headed southbound on East Marginal.

TUESDAY: Police have released this summary:

At 0007 Hrs SW Patrol responded to a report of a street racing take-over event at 2 Ave SW and SW Michigan St that had manifested in multiple locations in the city throughout the night. During these events several people had been wounded by gunfire and there was a significant potential for additional incidents as the meet ups escalated. Approximately 100 vehicles were at the location and Officers utilized vehicle tactics to convince the crowd to disperse. The vehicles fled in numerous directions and appropriate jurisdictions were notified of their direction of travel. Officers remained at the location to deter any returning participants.

Danimal June 23, 2024 (1:38 am)

What a bunch of sissies! Real takeovers don’t run from the cops.Yes, people, I’m baiting them. Shh.

California Speedway June 23, 2024 (2:05 am)

I live directly on California between the Alaska and Admiral Junctions. It’s 1:15 and within the last 90 minutes at least six to eight cars have flown by at speeds over 80. This is nothing new, but tonight is likely related to the aftermath of these racing events earlier, as they scattered like cockroaches after law enforcement responded. Again, this is not atypical. Cars go fast on California at night, especially on the weekends as the cruisers do their Marginal, Harbor, Alki testosterone loops and then come up here. In the very wee hours it is not unusual to hear or a random car doing 100 at 2:30 am. It sounds like the Autobahn, and it’s pretty terrifying. It comes out of nowhere and it stops you. All I can do is shake my head. But tonight is as good a night as any to comment and make predictions. I’m calling it. It’s not a matter of If, it’s When. Sooner or later one of these kids/guys Will catch an innocent pedestrian or driver crossing or turning on California. Someone Will get killed, and the wreckage/carnage is going to stretch for a block. Nothing except police resources to do regular speed patrols will change this. That seems extremely unlikely given their current and future need to respond to other racing “events,” shootings, murders, etc., like the last few days have illustrated.

Lara June 23, 2024 (1:13 pm)

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Traffic calming and physical changes to the street design is the only thing that will fix this. There aren’t enough police in the world to monitor every street in the city at all hours and respond fast enough. You can’t drive fast on a street (without severely damaging your car) that is narrow and properly calmed with things like bollards, trees, chicanes, bump outs, etc. We can learn exactly how to do this from other cities where it has worked.
- Shadowtripper June 23, 2024 (6:53 pm)
  
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  Camera’s everywhere, just like London. Impound the cars that are identified on camera and hold them for 30 days. That will stop them. Oh cameras are invasive as we learned when they were placed on Alki several years ago and had to be removed due to public outcry.
Victoria Radick June 23, 2024 (8:50 pm)

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Yes, we live just above Alki and heard the screaming of racing engines for quite a while. Last year the police presence tempered it and I assumed after a murder Saturday night, the police would return. Obviously not. Citizens awaken and call on our paid safety resources to protect our neighbors, sleep time, and property.

Seattlite June 23, 2024 (6:59 am)

EXCELLENT work SPD! It is time these adolescents and their reckless, dangerous actions get shut-down.

Actually Mike June 23, 2024 (7:44 am)

Nice job, SPD. Thank you.

K June 23, 2024 (3:29 pm)

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What are we all thanking SPD for? They didn’t arrest anyone. They didn’t stop the racers, just pushed them onto side streets closer to residential areas. I don’t know that there was much else they COULD have done, but it’s a pretty sad comment on the state of things that you feel like you need to congratulate them for just showing up.
- uncle loco June 23, 2024 (6:30 pm)
  
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  Would you rather the cops just not do anything and just let these guys run wild? Honest question.
  - K June 23, 2024 (7:09 pm)
    
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    Never said that. Just not sure what we’re thanking them for. Do you come here to post and thank Seattle City Light every time they test a power line? Or SDOT every time they record a pothole? Or the librarians every time the lights and computers are on? Does you NOT thanking every city worker for clocking in mean you don’t want them to do anything? Honest question.
    - uncle loco June 24, 2024 (6:48 am)
      
      K-In the real world I personally try to make an effort to thank those who provide a useful service in the community whether they are fixing potholes or dealing with the worst of the worst among us. I’m not sure why you have a problem with people expressing their gratitude online.
    - k June 24, 2024 (11:59 am)
      
      I don’t, and I don’t know why you’re working so hard to put words into my mouth. Read the posts, then read them again, and stop projecting your own feelings onto my comments.
  - Moot June 23, 2024 (8:20 pm)
    
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    As Lara writes above, there will never be enough cops to be everywhere at once and prevent this happening. What would work–and what has worked elsewhere–is a proactive approach: narrowing streets, installing speedbumps and bollards, etc. People may not care about speed limits or laws or safety, but they slow down when road design makes it impossible to do otherwise without damaging your car. Plus, design modifications are on the job 24/7/365.

Stop Sign June 23, 2024 (8:44 am)

Really hope some annoyed, mature witnesses used their cell phones to take videos of people & license plates of the racers. I doubt those were stolen cars. The time for severe consequences is overdue!

Brandon June 23, 2024 (8:47 am)

Growing up playing racing games to then build a custom car of my own and participate in car meets with many who would be classified as “Street racers”… its sad that a group who cares and tunes their cars with as much pride as they do gets lumped in with a bunch of idiots with stock cars doing donuts with no respect to their cars or peers.

This crowd isn’t street racers. They’re only doing donuts in the road because they don’t know how to drive and their cars are trash. These events are an embarrassment to car culture.

Jeff June 23, 2024 (10:42 am)

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You might be surprised to learn that most people don’t care about your subcategories within the group “drives like an a– on public streets”.
Alki resident June 23, 2024 (12:35 pm)

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I know people who do both and literally nobody cares what other car “ clubs” are doing. To each their own. You’re making stuff up.
- Brandon June 23, 2024 (3:42 pm)
  
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  Um what? When cars and coffee events are explicitly saying no burnouts or donuts it seems like they care. People like this make it bad for the rest of us through association. People borrowing their daddy’s Challenger or Mommy’s G35 and participating in these takeover events aren’t cool and aren’t really car people. But now to the public they’re “street racers.” If you have a modded car you already know Police keep a closer eye on us on the road than a standard prius because of racers. The car community doesn’t need another reason of bias or prejudice for something your neighbor’s grandma can literally do in an intersection. Big whoop.
  
  How do you like it when people from outside of alki come to alki and give the area a bad reputation as a resident there? To each their own, right?
  - WS car guy June 24, 2024 (9:55 pm)
    
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    I get what you’re saying @Brandon and agree with you.
    - Alki Res Low Rider June 25, 2024 (11:22 am)
      
      I hear this, I hear this. When they put in the speed bumps on Alki, I joked that they’re really only targeting the low riders. The gray hair are still driving their SUVs @30+ over the bumps when in cars and yelling at anyone who isn’t doing 20 when pedestrians. The double standard is real. Bonus round … Residents/Tourists on alki honk at me as I have to slow to around 15 to get my low rider over the bumps. At this to say, for those of us who love cars and know what they can do are NOT “street gangs” showing each other our mods at the boat ramp, are NOT the ones cruising down Alki on a summer afternoon at 20mph w kids in the back seat, and are certainly NOT the idiots speeding, doing donuts, and/or swarming. We know our cars. It’s a 3000+lb death machine when you f around. Wouldn’t it be lovely if everyone knew (including you my gray hair neighbours) what their vehicles could do. Know your vehicle, respect your vehicle (if you must have one).

Alki resident June 23, 2024 (9:13 am)

They’re everywhere, all nite long. We don’t have enough police force to stop them. Cops don’t have time to chase down every racer and they know it.

Nadmiral June 23, 2024 (9:38 am)

Thanks to SPD for attempting to harness in these idiots! Maybe you should block off the streets both directions and have a huge ‘show of force’ (SPD and State Patrol and make arrests…. also get the laws changed so it’s got a more severe punishment(big money, fine, and time in jail)

Joanne June 23, 2024 (10:50 am)

Several years ago I was coming home at 1ish in the morning along West Marginal, I almost rear-ended this idiot, who suddenly stopped in front of me. Pissed me off and then
started looking around and saw a bunch of cars backing up off the street and realized what was happening. I got myself out of there really quickly. I did call 911 and reported it and went home. It was very unnerving.

Rhonda June 23, 2024 (11:50 am)

The media needs to come up with a different name than “street racers” to label these idiots. Doing donut burnouts, shooting off fireworks, shining laser beams while having intoxicated teenage passengers hanging out the windows isn’t racing.

WSB June 23, 2024 (12:20 pm)

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That’s how the police described them, repeatedly. I can’t say exactly what they were doing – whether actual racing was or was not involved – because the only visual I have is the reader video of the stopped traffic (including one onlooker describing it as “street racing.”
Brandon June 23, 2024 (3:11 pm)

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Thank you Rhonda. If they get caught t a takeover they’re not getting speeding tickets. It’s gonna be reckless driving and disorderly conduct. If they flee, they’re not racing, they’re attempting to evade police.

Mike June 23, 2024 (12:21 pm)

Time for Inslee to use the National Guard, enough is enough. https://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=36.28.010

Jim P. June 23, 2024 (8:59 pm)

I live way over in South Delridge and you could hear them quite clearly.

S June 23, 2024 (9:28 pm)

The police are NOT gonna catch usI don’t think you guys have seen the type of ride people bring I saw at least 10 hell cats and the people shooting fireworks at the police have a f—ing beast of a Camaro u shoulda heard that thing

S June 24, 2024 (1:05 am)

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I meant hell cat not Camaro
Mike June 24, 2024 (5:49 am)

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I really hope this is meant to be sarcastic, police have a Bell 407 with night vision and aren’t restricted by pesky turns and obstacles in the road.
- Ivan Weiss June 24, 2024 (1:45 pm)
  
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  Cops also have drones, no?
Nope June 24, 2024 (7:20 am)

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It’s all fun and games until you kill someone or you get killed or maimed. You were laughing and having a blast because you’ve never seen the aftermath of someone getting hit by a car. You’ve never heard someone scream as their loved one dies in front of them. I have and it will haunt me for the rest of my life. You think you’re cool, and you may be having a great time, but your reckless behavior will lead to horrific consequences that you do not comprehend.
Dominic Torretto June 24, 2024 (7:42 am)

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At least 10 Hellcats? Exotic stuff.And a challenger? WooooWeeeeee

Running ain’t freedom. You should know that.
- S June 24, 2024 (10:11 am)
  
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  womp womp
- Vince June 24, 2024 (10:35 pm)
  
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  “Street’s closed, pizza boy!”
  ”Damn street racers!”
  #family
- Rhonda June 24, 2024 (11:58 pm)
  
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  “A win is a win” – Dom