Seattle police rushed to a takeover-style street racing event in the city’s Wallingford neighborhood early Sunday morning. Video footage captured by KOMO News illustrates the chaos as the crowd halted traffic on Northeast 45th Street at Second Avenue Northeast, while racers engaged in burnouts, spun in circles, and sped down the street.

These racers blatantly disregard a new state law that broadened the definition of racing to encompass sideshows, empowering law enforcement to impound and confiscate vehicles involved in street races. Following violent incidents, including a mass shooting at a race in Kent last summer and an unruly crowd targeting police officers responding to racing reports, lawmakers and law enforcement pledged heightened efforts to combat street racing and its consequences.

“We need to send a strong message to those who are putting others in danger with their reckless behavior,” emphasized Sen. John Lovick (D-Mill Creek), sponsor of SB 5606 in 2023. “Our streets are so unsafe now. People have a total disregard for our laws. This needs to stop and it needs to stop now.

“Although the law took effect at the year’s outset, spring typically marks the beginning of the street racing season, characterized by sideshow takeovers akin to the Wallingford event. David Hickerson of Golden Oldies Records and CD’s, adjacent to where the sideshow unfolded, expressed alarm, urging individuals to recognize the gravity of their actions: “Stick to video games, this is real life. There are repercussions… It’s scary that this is happening right in front. We’re on the community trust program here, we hope everyone has our back when we’re not here.

”Hickerson disclosed that his business had already suffered two instances of vehicles colliding with their storefront. Despite Seattle police responding to the scene as captured in KOMO News footage, there was no indication of any arrests made. However, the department underscored its commitment to enforcing street racing laws, pledging to maintain community safety and uphold traffic regulations…

Seattle experienced chaos and alarm on Friday evening as a group of individuals commandeered the city streets in a bike takeover event, instigating turmoil and trepidation among local residents. The tumultuous incident, captured on video by FOX 13 Seattle Reporter AJ Janavel, unfolded at the junction of 15th Avenue N.W. and N.W. Market Street in the Ballard district around 8:30 p.m.

Witnesses recounted that the group had congregated in a Safeway parking lot before embarking on their disruptive ride through the neighborhood. Video footage depicts a swarm of motorcycles, dirt bikes, mopeds, mini-bikes, ATVs, and other non-street legal cruisers careening through traffic, veering onto sidewalks, and recklessly navigating through red light intersections, thus fostering a perilous and hazardous environment for both pedestrians and motorists alike.

“My biggest concern is for the people walking on the sidewalk and also the motorists themselves because they’re not paying attention to the cars that are driving on the street,” remarked Rosie Wans, a local worker who witnessed the mayhem firsthand. Wans noted encountering a similar group earlier in the day in a different part of the city.

Rahman Almalay, who works in security across the street from where the takeover unfolded, disclosed observing the bikers congregating in the Safeway parking lot but was unaware of their intentions to disrupt the street. “It was dangerous. The video you showed me, that’s not good. I thought they were just hanging out,” Almalay expressed, highlighting his concern over the seeming impunity of the bikers. He further expressed skepticism regarding authorities’ ability to intervene effectively, citing the bikers’ evasion tactics such as the absence of license plates.

“Everybody’s covered. Almalay lamented, “Without license plates, there’s no means to halt them. It’s impossible.”You know? The only thing … probably … the cops would have came and told them to leave, because there’s a lot of them. How many are you going to catch?”

FOX 13 Seattle sought comments from Seattle City Councilmember Dan Strauss, who represents the neighborhood, and the Seattle Police Department regarding the incident but had not received responses at the time of reporting.

The bike takeover event has underscored serious safety concerns within the neighborhood, reigniting anxieties stemming from previous encounters with illegal street racing activities in Seattle.