An unsanctioned car meetup involving hundreds of cars was broken up by law enforcement in Durham, resulting in a towed vehicle and a citation.
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At 9:38 p.m. Saturday, officers with the Durham Police Department responded to a loud noise complaint in the 2000 block of Avondale Drive. The area was near Foushee Street and the U.S. 501 Business split.
In a statement sent to The News & Observer, police said when they arrived, they found “hundreds” of vehicles crowding the location, with multiple individuals “performing careless and reckless driving stunts.”
They estimate about 600 cars were in the area at the time.
During the response, an officer conducted a traffic stop on one of the drivers. The driver, who was not publicly identified, was cited for careless and reckless driving. Their vehicle was towed from the scene, police said.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol and the Durham County Sheriff’s Office assisted DPD in managing the crowd and dispersing the gathering. Durham police said no arrests were made during the event and no injures were reported.
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Large-scale car meetups, often referred to as “street takeovers,” have become a frequent public safety challenge in Durham and across the country.
Organized in private groups on social media, the gatherings often crowd public intersections or large commercial parking lots. Drivers participating at the takeovers perform stunts like doughnuts, burnouts and wheelies, according to North Carolina law.
Spectators have been known to arrive armed or to set things on fire to get the best visuals for social media, where car meet accounts can attract tens of thousands of followers.
In response to the widespread community complaints regarding noise, property damage, and the threat of injuries, local law enforcement agencies have relied on multi-agency operations and targeted crackdowns to curb the trend.
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