One man was killed and two others injured early Thursday morning, Oct. 22, in two crashes after dozens of car enthusiasts gathered first in Anaheim and then in Costa Mesa, police said.
Two drivers were arrested.
At about 1:30 a.m., dozens of cars descended upon the Anaheim Plaza parking lot on Euclid Street, Anaheim Sgt. Jake Gallacher said, with police called after a woman was struck by a car in the parking lot where a car club had congregated.
The car apparently whipped around and the back of it hit the woman, who was likely a spectator from the group, the sergeant said. She was hospitalized and expected to survive.
Officers soon found the driver and arrested him on suspicion of hit and run and reckless driving, Gallacher said.
At about 2:30 a.m. Anaheim police learned and tipped off Costa Mesa police that about 80 to 100 vehicles were headed to their city.
But before Costa Mesa officers came across the mass, a truck apparently performed doughnuts and rolled over at Hyland and Sunflower avenues.
One passenger, a man in his 20s, died at the scene, said Roxi Fyad, a spokeswoman for the Costa Mesa Police Department. Another passenger was taken to a hospital and the driver was arrested by police, she said.
Anaheim’s Gallacher said people organize these meet-ups through social media that quickly reach hundreds of people.
Mass gathering of cars and spectators, called street takeovers, often happen during late nights or early mornings when roads are empty. Drivers do doughnuts, burnouts or other stunts in intersections while spectator stand mere feet away.
“It’s highly dangerous,” Gallacher said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Source: Orange County Register
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