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LMPD: 10 charged with participating in illegal street racing activities near PRP

Multiple individuals told police they were there because it was a racing event someone organized on social media.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Businesses and residents are weighing in on a widespread issue facing Jefferson County: street racing.

It comes after Sunday, when Louisville Metro Police charged 10 people in connection to the dangerous activity near the Pleasure Ridge Park neighborhood.

According to several arrest citations, a group of people were meeting in the parking lot of Kentucky Trailer on Logistics Drive, just off Greenbelt Highway.

Multiple individuals told police they were there because it was a racing event someone organized on social media. Police said the individuals stayed on the scene while others raced vehicles and did burnouts.

One of the men charged had his daughter and another juvenile in the car with him at the event, according to police.

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All ten individuals were charged with third-degree trespassing on Kentucky Trailer's property. Eight of the individuals were cited for promoting racing and reckless driving exhibitions.

When WHAS11 returned to the warehouse on Tuesday, tire marks were still visible on the road. 

"[We] had a lot of people that were trying to outrun each other. They were scaring the heck out of a lot of people in the subdivision," Bruce Barnes, a nearby homeowner, said. "We have a lot of young children in this neighborhood. I'm just afraid someone is going to get injured."

Barnes is among several residents in the surrounding area reacting to this past weekend's arrests.

"[Drivers] were racing down the road, which scared the living 'ba-jee-bers' out of me," Barnes said. "They were going fast, they were trying to outdo each other."

A spokesperson for the company said they have been dealing with the problem of street racing since before the pandemic.

Charles Dukas said this is a seasonal issue and when the weather gets nice they see more of these meet ups. He said it's a safety concern and the company supports LMPD cracking down on the problem.

The support comes as LMPD has more tools at its disposal to curb the issue, thanks to an ordinance passed in the fall.

Under the proposal, if someone is caught taking part in or promoting these types of activities, they could face a $1,000 fine. If someone is busted a second time, another $1,000 would be tacked on making it a $2,000 penalty.

The ordinance would also expand police authority, allowing them to seize and impound any cars involved in reckless driving incidents.

Between August and October, before the ordinance went into effect, LMPD stated officers handed out 950 citations for reckless driving.

In the first weekend of February, LMPD reported officers cited 42 offenders, made seven arrests and towed 13 vehicles.

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