WATCH: Unauthorized street takeover and ‘hooning’ leave intersection marked

Tires mark the intersection of East Third and Jefferson Streets in downtown Dayton Tuesday January 17, 2023. Over the weekend, multiple vehicles did donuts in an activity called 'hooning'. JIM NOELKER/STAFF

Credit: JIM NOELKER

Credit: JIM NOELKER

Tires mark the intersection of East Third and Jefferson Streets in downtown Dayton Tuesday January 17, 2023. Over the weekend, multiple vehicles did donuts in an activity called 'hooning'. JIM NOELKER/STAFF

Videos posted online on YouTube, Facebook and social media show multiple cars doing burnouts and other “sideshow” activities in an Ohio city over the weekend.

Cars can be seen in the videos doing donuts and driving in circles at the intersection of Jefferson and East Third streets in the Fire Blocks District in Dayton. Witnesses said the street takeover took place early Sunday morning.

The videos show spinning wheels and smoking tires, and passengers can be seen hanging out the windows of some of the cars.

Cars parked on the streets, blocking off the intersection.

A ring of spectators cheered and took photos and videos.

Tire marks and shredded piece of tire were still in the intersection this morning.

Video footage shows several cars also doing screeching donuts at the intersection of East Second Street and North Jefferson Street. The intersection is covered in tire marks.

Dayton police Lt. Col. Eric Henderson on Monday told this newspaper that police are aware of the incident and other similar activities happened in other locations.

“We saw the video and there was also other reports of it throughout other parts of Dayton and Montgomery County,” said Henderson, who is the assistant chief. “They weren’t just in one location.”

Henderson said the reckless driving is very concerning and police will take appropriate enforcement actions to try to deter these activities in the future.

Tire marks at the intersection of East Third and Jefferson streets in downtown Dayton on Monday, Jan. 16, 2023. Multiple vehicles did donuts and drove in circles during a street takeover this past weekend. CORNELIUS FROLIK / STAFF

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“We’re going to regroup and make sure that we put together some operations to address these types of incidents,” he said. “We do ask that everyone who are participating in these not to because at some point someone is going to be seriously injured or killed, and it’s something that can be prevented.”

Henderson said police don’t know if this was a local group of people, but these kinds of activities often attract people from all over the region.

Dayton Municipal Court records show that Dayton police arrested a 24-year-old woman on the 100 block of East Second Street at about 1 a.m. Sunday morning.

She faces misdemeanor charges of obstructing official business, resisting arrest, failure to comply and transportation of liquor.

Police also are seeking misdemeanor charges of falsification and obstructing official business charges against a 30-year-old Dayton man. Court records indicate the violations took place at 1 a.m. on the 100 block of East Third Street.

Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims Jr. on Monday said he was disappointed and troubled by the video he saw of vehicles driving recklessly in the city.

“It’s destructive and it’s crazy ... it’s risking people’s lives,” he said. “Fortunately no one was hurt.

“It’s painful to see how individuals seem to have such a lack of value for themselves and others.”

Mims said he thinks city leaders will look at changing city ordinances to increase penalties for these kinds of dangerous driving behaviors.

“This is not going to be tolerated, as far as the city of Dayton is concerned,” he said.

Dayton police and officials last year said they hoped to crack down on illegal automobile “circus acts” and “hooning,” which was taking place across the city.

Cars do donuts and drive in circles at the intersection of East Third Street and South Jefferson Street on Sunday morning. YOUTUBE

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Hooning is a term used to describe reckless driving behaviors like speeding, racing, doughnuts and burnouts that often take place on public streets and in private parking lots without the owners’ permission, officials say.

Dayton City Manager Shelley Dickstein said automotive “clown acts” were putting drivers, spectators and pedestrians at risk.

The city installed speed tables, humps and other traffic-calming features on Gettysburg Avenue to try to combat illegal street racing and dangerous driving.

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