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Long Island street racing 'takeover' leads to injuries, calls for action

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Published  November 4, 2024 11:27pm EST
Long Island
FOX 5 NY

Long Island illegal street racing incident

A street racing incident caused quite the scene on Long Island over the weekend damaging multiple cars and sending two officers to the hospital. FOX 5 NY’s Jodi Goldberg spoke with neighbors who saw what happened and has the latest from the two in Islip.

LONG ISLAND - An illegal street race took over a section of Surnise Highway in Islip early Sunday morning, leaving skid marks, a blown-out tire and two injured Suffolk County Police officers.

Video footage posted to social media showed hundreds of people gathered to watch the so-called "takeover" on the westbound service road. But what started as a spectacle quickly escalated when law enforcement arrived on the scene.

The Suffolk County Police Department confirmed that two officers were injured, and multiple patrol cars were damaged during the chaos.

"Numerous police vehicles were being rammed by the participants in this race," said Joe Ferrari, second assistant chief of the Islip Fire Department.

The incident is not an isolated one either. Last month, a woman was injured during another street racing takeover in nearby Brookhaven. 

Now, local officials are calling for urgent measures to prevent further incidents. 

"Bigger fines, confiscations, is what we need to do, and we need to do this fast before someone dies," urged Legislator Sam Gonzalez. 

The Town of Islip released a statement condemning the "egregious behavior" and stressing that safety remains a top priority. Suffolk County Police are conducting a full investigation and encourage anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers at 800-220-TIPS.