QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11) — The pavement at Eliot Avenue and 69th Street in Middle Village is still scarred with fresh skid marks after a chaotic car takeover that drew crowds and left behind visible damage.
Video from the scene shows a car spinning in tight circles around a ring of fire, with onlookers standing just feet away.
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Dozens of vehicles flooded the intersection overnight, performing stunts, blasting music, and blocking traffic, something residents say is becoming more frequent and more dangerous.
“This is a big intersection; somebody can get killed,” one resident said.
Police say they received multiple 911 calls just before 2 a.m. Officers responded quickly and broke up the gathering. Most drivers fled, but three people jumped onto a marked police vehicle, cracking its windshield, before speeding off. No injuries were reported.
Sam McCarthy, a manager at TintMax, provided surveillance video from his business and described the scene as unusual.
“This is so out of the ordinary,” he said. “They interviewed me, they want to see who broke their windshield, track them down, as well as who lit up the fire.”
McCarthy says the risks were obvious.
“They could’ve hit the shop, they could’ve crashed into the gas stations, and they’re lighting fires, in between two gas stations is absolutely crazy.”
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Detectives spent the day canvassing the area for additional video as some neighbors called for preventative measures.
“You really can’t stop people from driving down the block, but deter them a little bit like with the speed bumps,” another resident said.
City Council Member Phil Wong says he’s pushing for action after receiving multiple complaints overnight.
“We cannot have it,” Wong said. “We will not tolerate this because it leads to drag racing, violence, and gang fights.”
He says similar incidents have happened before.
“It happened before at a different intersection, what they do is they do drag racing its not just a matter of making donuts, and they take bets on how many donuts can this car make.”
Wong says he plans to meet with Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch to discuss next steps and prevent future incidents.
Meanwhile, residents say the situation is escalating too close to home.
“It’s disturbing, and somebody needs to monitor it more, maybe.”
Police say the investigation remains ongoing.
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