LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Local authorities and lawmakers are ready to pump the brakes on Louisville illegal street racing and street takeovers.
"A lot of people who are doing this, they think of their car as their baby," Kentucky Rep. Jason Nemes (R-33) said. "They'll think twice about racing their cars on our public streets and endangering our people."
He told WHAS11 on Wednesday that he is drafting a bill that would crush the cars of convicted street racers. He said he's working with the city on the legislation.
"I want to crush it, I want you to watch it, and I want everyone else to see it so they'll stop putting our people in danger," Nemes said.
The bill would level up the punishment for convicted street racers, who right now face a city ordnance that impounds the vehicle for 6 months.
On Tuesday, Democratic Mayor Craig Greenberg cast his support for the legislation.
"I strongly support legislation that when we seize vehicles that are partaking in this extremely dangerous behavior, that those cars get crushed," Greenberg said.
Louisville Metro Police Department Chief Paul Humphrey entertained the idea Wednesday afternoon.
"We could do a press conference and pull out all of those cars out here and get like a steam roller and roll over a Corvette or something, that would be pretty neat," Humphrey said.
Kerry Stemler is the HOA president for Waterfront Park Place, a complex downtown.
"Right down where we live, and where the park is, we have all this type of activity and it's so dangerous," Stemler said.
He said he's worked with Louisville Metro Police for years to help combat the issue.
"When we have that kind of activity around a significant amount of pedestrians, we're just asking for something really horrible to happen," Stemler said.
Now, Stemler is all for car crushing legislation, like some authorities that hope the harsh punishment will deter street racers once and for all.
"We're either going to cut it down by convincing them that it's not worth it, or we're going to take their means by which to do it," Humphrey said at a LMPD press conference.
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