Fort Worth Police address street racing concerns after recent takeovers, arrests

The video shows when chaos ensued at a busy intersection near homes and businesses in South Fort Worth on Sunday night.

Around 10:30 p.m., dozens blocked traffic for drivers doing stunts, turning the intersection of Berry Street and Hemphill Street into their playground.

“You could hear the tires screeching, and all I kept thinking is, oh my God, they’re going to hit somebody,” said Sharon Smith.

Smith told NBC 5 that Sunday’s takeover was one of several she’s heard since moving into the neighborhood two months ago.

Despite calls to 911, the events haven’t stopped.

“Is it going to take one of these kids crashing into our house and killing us?” she said.

“You got a lot of things that are going on. People are just trying to show off and show out, but this is not going to happen here in Fort Worth,” said Fort Worth Police PIO Buddy Calzada.

Calzada said the department has received more calls about street takeovers and racing between spring break and the approach to summer.

The department has prioritized reckless driving enforcement, in part, with help from laws passed last year to strengthen penalties for participants.

“We work collective with all our units of the department. Our gang unit will assist us, definitely our directed response unit. They take a lot of the lead, and they make a lot of these arrests,” he said.

Video shows the moments Sunday night just before police arrived when a witness caught in the traffic says this silver SUV drove into the crowd before someone else fired a gun.

Police arrested five people, two for reckless driving and three for spectating.

“Anyone wanting to race illegally, do donuts on our streets? Here's the true spoiler. You will go from zero to arrest within minutes,” said Calzada.

But doing so has come with challenges, and the department says it needs the community’s help, urging those who see something to say something.

“Everyone that continues to call us, please send us your video and your evidence because this allows us to charge these dangerous individuals on your streets,” he said.