DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Three street racers were arrested early Saturday morning after they blocked I-85 near Spaghetti Junction to allow other cars race and perform donuts.
The Georgia State Patrol responded to the scene of a crash caused by the illegal roadblock around 2 a.m. on I-85 north near I-285.
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Officers saw a black truck leaving the crash scene that police believed was being used as a spotter.
Officers pulled the truck over and arrested the driver and his passengers.
Luis Puga, 19, Fernando Castillo-Mendez, 19, and Jose Esparza Duenas, 21, were taken into custody.
Officers later learned Puga was one of the organizers for the drag racing event. He’s been charged with numerous crimes including racing, driving while unlicensed, obstructing the road and parking in prohibited areas. Mendez and Duenas are facing racing charges.
All three men were taken to the DeKalb County jail.
Channel 2′s Michael Seiden has been covering the explosion of street racing in Atlanta since the pandemic began. Numerous viral videos show large crowds gathering on the streets of Atlanta and watching in awe as dangerous drivers perform tricks and race up and down busy streets.
These events aren’t just concerning to police, but also to families who are forced to stay inside their homes on the weekends because of the constant traffic in their neighborhoods.
“We’re obviously scared, which is why we want to be anonymous,” one person told Seiden. “You get the sound of the screeching tires when they’re doing the donuts. If you’re trying to sleep, it will wake you up.
Other residents said it’s a nuisance that goes on for hours.
“It’s just like we live in a war zone,” one resident who lives in Midtown said. “You can hear them come from Midtown and then they go down to Peachtree Hills and they circle up and back on Peachtree.”
Cox Media Group
