Two arrested as Bay Ridge sees increase in speeding and drag racing

Amid a slew of complaints from locals that drivers have been drag racing during late-night hours in Bay Ridge, police arrested two men for reckless endangerment and other charges in the neighborhood.

According to authorities, on Wednesday, May 19 at around 5 p.m., cops saw two drivers near Bay Ridge Avenue and Shore Road at the 69th Street Pier who were allegedly operating their vehicles in a manner that caused a threat of serious physical injury or death.

Cops conducted a car stop and both drivers were taken into custody and transported to the 68th Precinct.

The men, ages 25 and 27, were charged with reckless endangerment, criminal trespass, disorderly conduct and unlawful possession of marijuana.

“Thanks to the help from our #Bayridge community, we were notified about this reckless driving,” tweeted the 68th Precinct. “By nightfall, we arrested the drivers and impounded these vehicles @NYPDTransport”

Officials have been dealing with speeding in the area for quite some time.

“It’s no secret that we have a reckless driving problem in the 68th Precinct that has gone unchecked for a very long time,” said Councilmember Justin Brannan. “I am tired of hearing from families that have been terrorized and almost run over by these idiots. They drive around like they own the streets, and seem to think people are just obstacles in a video game. Not only are their obnoxious after-market exhaust systems completely illegal but most of these drivers are also committing insurance fraud by using fake out-of-state license plates registered to other cars. It’s time to end the Fast & Furious fantasy and get these clowns off the street before they kill someone.”

State Sen. Andrew Gounardes said, “Reckless driving and drag racing on our streets is not only dangerous, it’s just plain stupid and dumb, not to mention extraordinarily selfish at a time when our city is using every available resource to battle a raging pandemic. I’m grateful that our police precinct caught these reckless drivers and I hope that they don’t menace our streets ever again.”

Locals have recently noticed an increase in speeding and drag racing, according to Maureen Landers of Bay Ridge Advocates Keeping Everyone Safe (BRAKES).

“I regularly walk along Shore Road and live between Colonial and Narrows,” she said. “Every evening when I’m walking, you can see them. There’s a large group of mostly young men gathering in the street. Obviously I don’t want to stop people from gathering but they’re double parked with sports cars in the middle of Narrows the other night. Then they appeared to be racing.”

Landers added that individuals have recently been driving down Narrows at excessive speeds and intimidated her when she tried to film them.

“It’s probably triple the speed limit,” she added. “I saw it the other day at 6 p.m. I tried to videotape it and then one of the guys saw me, got out of the car and came towards me, yelling at me and verbally abusive to me. I was concerned for my safety so I left the scene.”

She applauded Brannan, Gounardes and the 68th Precinct for their continued efforts of stopping speeding and drag racing. However, Landers believes the upsetting trend needs to end for good before more accidents occur.

“What we are currently witnessing in terms of speeding is not within the realm of normal driving behavior,” she said. “This is a blatant disregard for our streets, people, and communities. While we are frustrated with speeding normally, it is often due to traffic, or drivers in a hurry to get someplace. This is orchestrated gatherings and events for sport. These drivers are using our streets for entertainment. They knowingly put all of us at risk and jeopardize lives and safety. It has to stop.”

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