Hampton Roads law enforcement agencies grapple with social media-fueled ‘car clubs’

By Zak Dahlheimer , John Cowley IV

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    ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY, Virginia (WTKR) — Hampton Roads law enforcement agencies are grappling with a rise in roving “car clubs” amplified on social media platforms, where videos of stunts ranging from burnouts in busy intersections to donuts around police vehicles garner thousands of “likes,” officials tell News 3.

One video obtained by News 3 shows a car doing donuts around a group of people in a packed shopping center parking lot in the Ocean View area of Norfolk. When police arrive, a swarm of people can be seen darting to their cars, some nearly in the path of other cars speeding toward the shopping center exits.

News 3 also obtained recorded Norfolk police radio transmissions from another incident earlier this year, in the area of the JANAF shopping center. An officer can be heard requesting assistance, advising a Dodge Charger was doing donuts around their cruiser, with a large crowd of people surrounding them.

Earlier this month, Virginia Beach firefighters initially were dispatched to a report of a vehicle fire on I-264, but were cleared because it was determined to be vehicles doing burnouts on the interstate, a VBFD official confirmed to News 3.

Capt. Tommy Potter with the Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s Office said the issue of “car clubs” like these are not just a problem in their community, but all throughout Hampton Roads.

“What we’re having is sometime 150 to 200 cars, and they come out to these shopping centers, and they’re really acting in a reckless manner,” Potter said. “They’re speeding, they’re doing donuts, they’re traveling against the flow of traffic, they’re impeding the flow of traffic, they’re running stop lights, they’re disregarding traffic signals.”

Potter said one example was a couple of weekends ago when roughly 200 cars showed up at the Carrollton Shopping Center near the James River Bridge.

“The cars started acting in a reckless manner, doing donuts, racing up and down the parking lot, and when our deputies responded, we actually had individuals who surrounded their patrol vehicles,” Potter said. “Individuals started jumping on the hood of their car and beating on the hoods of their patrol vehicles, and that creates a huge risk for our personnel.”

Potter told News 3 no one was injured in this incident, but law enforcement made several arrests.

“If you want to show up, and you want to display your cars, you’re proud of the work you’ve done, there are appropriate avenues to do that,” Potter said. “But it’s not at 11:30, 1, 2 o’clock in the morning, creating problems for our residents. It’s just not acceptable.”

Jim Ballard lives not too far from an abandoned shopping center in Isle of Wight County near Franklin, where groups have met up before.

“I’ve seen tire tracks where they’ve peeled out all over the parking lot,” Ballard said. “I don’t like that kind of activity, especially in high traffic areas and on other peoples’ property.”

He said his biggest concern is safety for residents and businesses.

“Sounds to me like just unruly kids,” Ballard said. “Their mommas and daddies need to be taking care of them.”

Potter also noted that the Virginia Code allows law enforcement to seize vehicles in certain circumstances, reiterating that reckless driving is a Class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia punishable by up to 12 months in jail, with fines as high as $1,000.

Portsmouth police have dealt with these groups repeatedly, with complaints coming in as recently as Monday evening, Acting Public Information Officer Kimberly Jones confirmed to News 3. Citizens called in to report a group of approximately fifty vehicles driving recklessly and obstructing traffic in the area of County Street and Green Street. The street racers were gone when responding officers arrived at the location, Jones said.

“We have been aggressively addressing this issue for the past several months, working with regional and state partners to combat illegal street racing and drifting within our city,” Jones told News 3.

“Enforcement actions are being pursued, including the prosecution of drivers involved and the seizure of their vehicles, as per the criminal code of Virginia. These measures hopefully will serve as a deterrent, emphasizing the gravity of engaging in illegal street racing and drifting.”

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