Drivers are shutting down Cincinnati highways to do burnouts. Here's what to know

The national trend of doing burnouts and doughnuts while blocking traffic appears to have happened at least twice this past weekend in Cincinnati.

Traffic on I-71 was blocked Saturday night while a black car did doughnuts in Lytle Tunnel. Another "takeover" involving multiple cars and fireworks happened on Hopple Street in Camp Washington around the same time.

Videos of the Lytle Tunnel incident have racked up millions of views on social media. Most of those commenting on the videos condemned the activity and question what would be done about it.

The chair of Cincinnati's public safety and governance committee, Scotty Johnson, called the situation outrageous but said Cincinnati police are ready if anyone decides to do it again.

The Cincinnati Police Department issued a statement Monday saying it is aware of the incidents and is investigating.

"The dangers associated with this type of recklessness and misuse of a motor vehicle could lead to significant injury or even death," the statement said.

Police urged anyone with information regarding the incidents to call CrimeStoppers at 513-352-3040.

Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers said she plans to charge the offenders with the stiffest penalties possible. She said the offender could face felony charges such as aggravated riot, conspiracy or disruption of emergency services.

"It speaks to the sheer and complete lawlessness that has hit Cincinnati," Powers said. "We need to wake up. It's going to take all of us."

She said drivers caught up behind these takeovers were basically held hostage, and she suspects these were organized events arranged on social media.

"People are outside of their vehicles watching this event … there must have been six girls on one of those cars," Powers said. "What kind of society are we that this OK? How did we get here? My job is to make sure every citizen in Hamilton County is safe. This is just one more thing that leads to the decay of the city."

Powers said she doesn't want Cincinnati to follow in the footsteps of other major cities struggling with crime. City data shows violent crime is down, even when compared to before the pandemic, while property crime is elevated, in part, due to auto thefts.

Cincinnati Police investigating drivers doing burnouts on I-71

Cincinnati police do not discuss ongoing investigations but said the department is taking the situation seriously and is working to identify those involved. In the past, when large groups of youth rode around the city on motorcycles, the police had success tracking down the vehicles and disrupting the events. However, it would be unlikely for officers to chase down these offenders.

Since last year, Cincinnati police have a policy to limit vehicle chases to violent felony offenders. Experts say pursuits are dangerous for both officers and the public. Police technology such as surveillance cameras and license plate readers also make tracking down vehicles possible without chasing them.

Councilman Johnson, a former Cincinnati police officer, had a warning for those responsible for the incidents over the weekend.

"The Cincinnati police are coming," he said. "We don't want to hear the whining and crying that 'we were just having fun.'"

Street takeovers are spreading

Street takeovers or "sideshows" like these have been happening for decades in other parts of the county.

San Francisco radio station KQED published a history of the trend which started in the mid-1980s in Oakland. The report says the takeovers started as quieter cruising events, but even then, the city government tried to crack down on them. As time went on, the events got rowdier.

It's this more dangerous version that has been spreading across the country in recent years.

This February, the governor of Texas launched a statewide task force to target takeovers in Austin, San Antonio, Dallas and Houston.

"We must send a clear message that these reckless, coordinated criminal events will not be tolerated in Texas," Gov. Greg Abbott said.

In May, Columbus police went after 16 people for their alleged involvement in a takeover that surrounded a gas station. Investigators said several people shoplifted during the event as well. In June, 50 to 60 shell casings were recovered at the scene of another takeover on that city's north side.

Last week in Indianapolis, cars and horses took over a street there. Another takeover there on Sept. 10 led to the arrest of a social media influencer.

This is probably not even the first of these events involving cars and burnout in Cincinnati. Media reports show a similar incident in College Hill this past New Year's Eve.

Who is participating?

YouTuber Alex Martini, who covers cars and car culture, released a video this month on the recent spread of takeovers. He admits that he hates them but explained that many of those involved are under 21.

The youth are drawn to these events because they can't get into clubs, shows or concerts at many venues, he said. Teens also don't get in nearly as much legal trouble as adults if they are caught doing something wrong.

In South Africa, spinning or car rodeos are an officially sanctioned motorsport. The trend of peeling out in circles and performing other automotive acrobatics gained popularity in there in the 1980s as it did in the U.S.

It remained an underground and dangerous activity until it was sanctioned in 2014, according to a report from Business Insider. Now it's growing in popularity even more and drawing in big sponsorships like Redbull.

What things are like in California

In California, where street takeovers started, law enforcement is still wrestling with them. A quick Google search yields hundreds of recent news stories about the trend. Some highlight violence that is either associated with the act or comes as a result of it.

In May, a man frustrated by an event lunged at a car and was then attacked, according to a report from KTVD.

Takeovers are illegal in California and vehicles involved can be impounded there. However, individual communities have proposed ordinances tougher than state law. Pico Rivera proposed a law that would fine spectators at the events $2,000 in an effort to curb the events.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati takes aim at tire-smoking street takeovers