ORLANDO, Fla. — According to new video released by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, a large group of people recently harassed drivers and damaged cars at the intersection of John Young Parkway and Central Florida Parkway.
OCSO officials say the street takeover happened on Nov. 30, and investigators say are still searching for 30 people in connection with the incident.
Some people who work nearby said the area is a safe and quite, and they were surprised by what happened.
Video shared by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office shows people setting a fire around the intersection, doing donuts, harassing drivers, and damaging their cars.
According to an incident report, a driver told investigators that they saw a large group stopping traffic and not letting drivers go through the intersection on the night of Nov. 30.
The individual said they sat through several light cycles, and when they honked their horn, more than 10 people jumped on top of their Tesla and broke its windshield.
Officials with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said reckless driving, street racing and intersection takeovers are dangerous and illegal — but also acknowledged that type of criminal activity is challenging to address.
“Since these drivers are mobile, they often flee when law enforcement arrives, and that fleeing makes the streets even more dangerous for other drivers,” said Deputy Summer McCray. “There is constant enforcement being done to ticket and/or arrest reckless drivers, street racers, and even spectators to those events. Since early 2023, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office has conducted dozens of proactive details to combat the illegal street racing and intersection takeovers in our county.”
Cracking down on incidents like the one captured on video were among Sheriff John Mina’s 2024 legislative priorities.
Orange County Sheriff’s Office officials say these types of groups are a nationwide problem and not unique to Central Florida.
Anyone with information on the Nov. 30 incident is asked to call CRIMELINE at 800-423-TIPS.