NORTHRIDGE, LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Hundreds of spectators gathered for dangerous street takeovers overnight Sunday in Los Angeles County, leaving at least five people injured, including a collision in Northridge involving a car that plowed into a crowd of onlookers at an intersection.
The injuries stemmed from a separate takeover near Wilbur Avenue and Parthenia Street in Northridge just after 9:30 p.m. Sunday. One person was taken to the hospital, but they are all expected to survive, the LAPD said.
It’s not clear exactly how they were injured, but footage from the scene shows black skid marks in the intersection.
A nearby business’s surveillance camera captured part of the takeover and the crash on video. The footage appears to show a white car spinning out of control and slamming into bystanders.
Paul Ghattas of Fantazy Motorsports, which shared the footage with ABC7, described the scene as “a young crowd. They’re doing donuts in the middle of the road, some of them doing illegal U-turns, cars sliding everywhere.”
Ghattas said the intersection if a notorious gathering spot for vehicle sideshows, adding that he was not surprised by the chaos that occurred Sunday evening.
“I knew it was just a matter of time,” he said in an interview. “I think somebody got injured the last time they did this, too, because these (vehicles) go out of control.”
Another takeover was reported at Century and Avalon Boulevards in Watts, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Video from the scene appears to show fireworks going off as cars performed donuts and burnouts in front of hundreds of spectators in the intersection.
Hundreds of spectators gathered for dangerous street takeovers overnight, leaving at least five people injured, as police work to curb such incidents across Los Angeles County.
The crowd dispersed when police officers arrived. No arrests were made.
An ABC7 on Your Side investigation took a closer look at what the LAPD and L.A. County Sheriff’s Department are doing to curb street takeovers. Reporter Kevin Ozebek rode along with deputies who specialize in stopping the dangerous incidents.
The LASD said extra patrols have been added to crackdown on the takeovers.
According to the sheriff’s department, Compton Station deputies have logged 113 street takeovers in the past six months, a 58% drop from the same period last year, when they responded to well over 200.
Across all areas served by the department, takeovers are down 56%, according to the L.A. County Chief Executive Office.
Deputies credit both increased patrols and new infrastructure for bringing the numbers down. Raised bumpers are being installed in the middle of intersections throughout Compton and other parts of L.A. County to physically prevent cars from doing donuts.
One problem deputies encounter, however, is the sheer magnitude of these events. Deputy David Murray he’s seen upwards of 500 vehicles at just one street takeover.
In the past, street takeovers have escalated into vandalism, assaults and shootings. It’s unclear if any of that happened in Watts or Northridge overnight.
High‑speed donuts, near‑collisions and crowds blocking intersections have become a familiar scene. ABC7 got an inside look at the team targeting street takeovers.
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