Cops have released a trove of footage from the massive car meetup that created havoc in a quiet Queens neighborhood — and are asking the public’s help identifying the people involved, including a trio who jumped on the hood of a responding police car.
The images, which appeared to be taken from surveillance cameras, police body-worn cameras and social media, show several of the people and vehicles involved in the drag-racing event early Saturday near Eliot Ave. and 69th St. in Middle Village.
When police arrived to break up the even about 1:40 a.m. most of the drivers and spectators dispersed.
But three people jumped on the hood of a marked NYPD car, causing the windshield to break, before they hopped into a black Nissan with no license plates and fled north on 69th St., cops said. The trio is wanted for criminal mischief.
Images released by the NYPD show several of the people and vehicles involved in the drag-racing event early Saturday near Eliot Ave. and 69th St. in Middle Village. (NYPD)
“I have been in constant contact with the NYPD,” Queens Councilman Phil Wong said in a statement. “This kind of lawlessness has no place here,” Wong said.
Wong indicated that he would meet with NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch about the incident in the coming days.
Cops are also looking for three people who posed for a picture wearing keffiyahs obscuring their faces, with only their eyes visible, who were driving a silver BMW X3 bearing a Connecticut license plate, #BW98494, and three people in sweatsuits who were driving a white BMW sedan with no license plates.
All are wanted for reckless endangerment for driving with “depraved indifference to human life” and “fleeing the scene at a high rate of speed,” police said.
Images released by the NYPD show several of the people and vehicles involved in the drag-racing event early Saturday near Eliot Ave. and 69th St. in Middle Village. (NYPD)
Wong earlier shared wild video of the car takeover on social media showing multiple cars doing tire-screeching donuts near a ring of fire on the street, with a passenger in one car holding a large Palestinian flag out the window.
At one point, one of the revelers shot green laser beams into the intersection.
One “Fast and Furious” wannabe was issued a summons for blocking the crosswalk after an NYPD commanding officer ordered an immediate canvass to stop any reckless driving, which led them to the motorist, cops said.
A wild pattern of tire skid marks was left on the street at the intersection after the early-morning car takeover. Locals said the skid marks were new. (Julian Roberts-Grmela / New York Daily News)
Around 100 vehicles were involved in the takeover, Wong said on X.
Additional video obtained by The News shows the driver of one of the vehicles nearly hit spectators while doing donuts and spinning out in the intersection. No one was hurt.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.