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Bay Bridge traffic after double fatality. March 16, 2023 

SAN FRANCISCO – The California Highway Patrol on Monday announced their San Francisco office has impounded 14 vehicles connected to a sideshow on the Bay Bridge that happened two days after Christmas this past year.

Holiday-season sideshow 

The backstory:

As part of their investigation, the CHP said they seized the vehicles linked to the December 27 sideshow. CHP said they responded to the westbound lanes of the Bay Bridge at 2:28 that morning after receiving 9-1-1 calls about the sideshow activity east of Treasure Island. 

CHP said they witnessed illegal activity, including pedestrians in lanes of traffic, fireworks being lit and vehicles engaged in reckless driving while all the westbound lanes were blocked. 

At the time, several pedestrians were issued citations for their involvement and released from the scene. At least one man was arrested for resisting, obstructing or delaying an officer. He was booked into the San Francisco County Jail. 

What about the vehicles? 

The CHP said an investigation to find the vehicles involved, led a San Francisco Superior Court judge to issue a court order for the seizure of 16 vehicles across Northern California. 

Not only were vehicles that participated in the sideshow seized, but vehicles used to “aid and abet” those who actively took part in the illegal stunt-driving activity by blocking lanes, preventing law enforcement from responding in a timely fashion. 

Officials with CHP said each of the vehicles that were seized will be impounded for 30 days. 

“Sideshows endanger everyone on the roadway,” said Captain Tim McCallister with CHP’s San Francisco office. “Seizing these vehicles is part of our ongoing commitment to keeping the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge safe for the traveling public.” 

The CHP San Francisco Office thanked the CHP Golden Gate Division for their help with the investigation. 

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