In the early morning hours on Sunday, the battle between street racers who insist that they have the right to street race in Atlanta and the law enforcement officers tasked with enforcing beefed up state racing laws was taken to a whole new level as dozens of street racing enthusiasts blocked Peachtree Street Bridge for hours. During that time, racing enthusiasts began doing donuts, spinning out, and drifting on the bridge. The protesters stated that city leaders needed to find or provide a place where the racers can perform their stunts, and that those who participate in the street racing activities are even open to paying a fee to use a designated location. At the same time, Atlanta police responded on Twitter on Sunday afternoon, stating that it has no problem arresting street racers or impounding their cars.
Residents in the area noted that it took police more than an hour to respond to the incident and that they were worried not only about the noise involved in stunting on Peachtree Street Bridge, but also the safety risks involved in blocking a roadway less than a mile away from Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, potentially blocking access to the hospital by ambulances transporting those in need of care.
This weekend, law enforcement officers from APD and the Georgia State Patrol also swarmed dozens of racers doing donuts at a shopping center in East Pointe as the crackdown on racing activities continues. A bill that was signed into law earlier this year increased the penalties for individuals convicted of reckless stunt driving to be on par with the legal consequences faced by those who are convicted of DUI in the state. The bill was introduced after a number of high-profile accidents in the state, particularly in Atlanta, involving passersby — including the occupants of other vehicles as well as pedestrians — becoming injured or killed on the roadway in collisions with those racing and stunting.
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