An outbreak of roaring drag racing and tire-squealing “donuts” in Baton Rouge on Sunday night defied recent efforts from city officials to crack down on dangerous stunt driving — but some leaders say their efforts are starting to make some progress.
Since the parish passed new, tougher penalties in August, the Baton Rouge Police department says it has taken action against stunt drivers, and calls about the problem have declined. Still, some officials say the state legislature may need to crack down further on the problem.
“As a local government, we almost maxed out the penalty phase with the last steps we took,” Metro Councilman Rowdy Gaudet, who sponsored the tougher penalties last year, said. “The data I’ve looked at from law enforcement shows the number of incidents is down … but when you see it’s happening in your community, it almost steals a sense of your hope for your community.”
Gaudet and council member Aaron Moak urged the Louisiana Legislature to pass legislation that would build upon recent rules from the Metro Council. An ordinance approved in August expanded the definition of drag racing to include stunt activities like burnout and doughnuts, while also allowing for spectators of the stunt races to be charged with a crime.
People accused of violating the ordinance can be charged with a misdemeanor and have their vehicle impounded.
Since the beginning of the year, five people have been issued summonses for drag racing and 15 people have been issued summonses for spectating a drag race, according to data provided by BRPD. Six vehicles have been towed under a 15-day hold, according to the data.
Gaudet and Moak said they’d like to see the penalty for drag racing increased to a felony offense, something only the state legislature can do.
“I don’t know what else we can do legislatively,” Moak said. “We’ve given all the tools we have available to law enforcement to use.”
More on Sunday’s incidents
The comments came after several people were issued court summonses following stunt racing incidents in the parish Sunday morning.
Officers responded to reports of reckless driving at about 1:20 a.m. Sunday at St. Phillip Street and South Boulevard and attempted to break up a crowd of people watching several cars stunt race in an intersection, according to BRPD spokesman L’Jean McKneely Jr.
At one point, spectators blocked the roadway and beat on a patrol unit, damaging it, McKneely said.
One stunt racer was briefly pursued by BRPD officers, but that chase was terminated before an arrest could be made because officers determined the chase posed a risk to the public, McKneely said.
The incident ended with a driver, Jatyrian Dyson, 20, being issued a summons to appear in court, and his vehicle being towed, McKneely said.
Robert Clemon, a resident of Texas, and Brody Gautreaux were arrested in connection with a separate Sunday morning racing incident in the area of Bluebonnet Boulevard and Jefferson Highway, District Attorney Hillar Moore III said Monday.
While only one person has been charged in connection with the Sunday incident at St. Phillip and South, McKneely said BRPD is investigating and expects further summons to be issued.
Balancing arrests with risks
Council members also acknowledged that a further crackdown on drag and stunt racing could increase the likelihood of high-speed police pursuits. Council and community members have voiced concern over recent deaths stemming from high-speed pursuits in the parish.
Last New Year’s Eve, two Brusly High School students were killed in a crash during a police pursuit that started in Baton Rouge. On March 9, a bystander was killed when a suspect BRPD was pursuing zoomed into the intersection of North Acadian Thruway and Fairfields Avenue.
Moak suggested providing law enforcement with additional technology like cameras and license plate readers so suspects can be easily identified regardless of if they flee the scene.
“I want officers to know that if the person they’re pursuing becomes a danger to the public, they can still figure out who they are and get them later,” Moak said.
Staff writers Elyse Carmosino and Ellyn Couvillion contributed to this report.
Leave a Reply