The NYPD said Monday that it’s looking for eight people suspected of participating in a reckless, late-night driving meetup in Queens, where multiple cars performed donuts around a fire and blocked traffic at an intersection.
Police said they received calls about people drag-racing at the intersection of Eliot Avenue and 69th Street in Maspeth before 2 a.m. Saturday. When officers arrived, they saw a blue car spinning in circles next to a silver BMW X3 and white BMW, according to officials. There were three people in each of the BMWs, police said.
Two people at the meetup jumped onto the hood of an NYPD car and cracked its windshield, according to police. The pair fled the scene in a black Nissan, officials said.
The NYPD said no one was hurt in the incident, which authorities are investigating as an act of reckless endangerment. They are asking anyone with information about the episode to contact police.
Videos of the incident posted to social media show a ring of fire in the middle of the intersection as cars drift and spin in circles, taking up the road space. City Councilmember Phil Wong, who represents the district, said he is outraged over what took place.
“Somebody brought in materials, accelerants and went into the intersection,” he said. “Some cars stopped traffic from both streets and then they poured accelerant and some other material to start a ring of fire.
“They woke up all the residents of the intersection,” Wong added, noting police have previously dealt with similar chaotic car meetups in Queens.
Last year, a teenager was arrested and charged with allegedly attacking a couple on their lawn in Malba after authorities said drag-racers took over a nearby intersection. Police said he was part of a group of 50 cars that entered the neighborhood for a meetup where people drove recklessly, did donuts, lit fireworks and set an empty car on fire.