A massive drag racing street takeover in Maspeth, Queens, early Saturday morning has prompted an NYPD investigation.
Police are now ramping up patrols in the area.
Illegal car meetup in Maspeth
Police said just before 2 a.m., 911 received multiple calls reporting drivers drag racing at Eliot Avenue and 69th Street.
When officers arrived on the scene, police said they activated their lights and sirens to disperse the crowd, and dozens of vehicles immediately left.
Three pedestrians allegedly jumped on top of the hood of an NYPD vehicle and cracked the windshield before running away.
The NYPD issued a summons to one driver for parking along a crosswalk.
No arrests were made, and no injuries were reported.
The investigation is ongoing.
A massive drag racing street takeover in Maspeth, Queens, on April 18, 2026, has prompted an NYPD investigation.
New York City Councilmember Phil Wong
“I’m surprised nobody got killed”
Maspeth resident Simeon Draguca said when he looked outside his apartment window early Saturday morning, he saw a crowd of young people mobbing the intersection and drivers putting on an illegal show.
“I heard a big explosion … and I said, what the hell is this?” he said. Â
Surveillance video from a nearby business shows drivers revving their engines, tires screeching, and a ring of fire lighting up the night sky.
“I’m surprised nobody got killed, you know, because those kids was running through the cars,” Draguca said.
Councilmember Phil Wong shared video of the chaos on X, urging leaders to do more to combat these street meetups, which he says are a recurring problem in Queens.
“It’s disturbing. It’s scary. I never saw anything like that happen over here,” resident Donna Livecchi said.
“There was multiple cars, and there’s no way they could’ve controlled that, so that kinda scared me,” resident Darlene Gerasoulis said.
NYPD units manned the intersection throughout the day, and officials said additional units of drones and helicopters will monitor the area all night, putting some residents at ease.
“The police come a little bit late. I don’t understand why. When they come, they run,” Draguca said.