ATLANTA — Midtown residents say it’s the sound of engines revving and burning tires that they’re tired of.
“It’s super annoying,” said one resident.
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A nearby bar shared surveillance with Channel 2 Action News’ Ashli Lincoln of the latest drag racing incident at 10th Street and Piedmont Avenue.
Early Sunday morning, another group of street racers stopped traffic at the 10th Street and Piedmont Road so they could burn rubber on top of Atlanta’s “Rainbow Crosswalk.” Witnesses said this incident happened twice throughout the night. The first incident occurred around midnight and the second time at 2 am.
Residents said Atlanta police responded after the second incident, however they made no arrest.
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One resident who didn’t want to be identified said when they tried to intervene, they were met with threats from some of the drivers.
“They’ve threatened with guns, threatened to kill them,” a resident said.
Last Sunday morning, APD responded to reports of street racers doing the exact same thing at the popular street corner.
“It’s dangerous and lives are at stake,” said psychologist Dr. Rosalyn Pitts Clark.
Dr. Rosalyn Pitts-Clark, says one reason street racing hasn’t died down since the pandemic, is because of the growing attention it’s getting online.
“Social media is really impacting the large number of drag races we’re seeing in our city, the number of likes and the number of followers that individuals receive actually serves as a catalyst to continue with the behavior,” said Dr. Pitts-Clark.
Channel 2 Action News reached out to Atlanta Police Department to see if drivers are specifically targeting the iconic rainbow intersection or if it’s a part of the growing trend of street racers taking over popular metro Atlanta intersections.
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Atlanta police told us this incident and the previous incident are under investigation.
Atlanta police are offering a $2,000 reward for anyone with information on the street racers who have been disrupting Atlanta’s streets and leaving damage at one of the city’s better known landmarks.
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