Philadelphia street takeover puts hundreds in danger as drivers pull donuts and police are left helpless

Shocked onlookers could only watch as the latest street takeover caused chaos in the early hours of Saturday morning in South Philadelphia.

Local residents were woken by the roar of engines and the screech of tires as hundreds of young people turned a major intersection into a death trap.

But there was little visible response from police, who made no arrests at the weekend event when six people were killed in shootings in the city.

“I saw the police just standing there and at one point they came and tried to clear the intersection, but it was dangerous for them to even walk there,” said witness Rhonda Walker, who reported the chaos from her nearby apartment filmed.

Regular traffic ground to a halt when the intersection of Broad Street and Washington Avenue was taken over for the second time in three months at 2:30 a.m.

Rhonda Walker, who captured the scenes from her nearby apartment, said it was the second time in three months he had been targeted

Footage shows the collection of muscle cars emitting thick clouds of tire smoke as they circle each other at high speed, causing hundreds of young people to scatter in the intersection’s central square.

“They were making donuts, they were taking turns, there were kids hanging out of the windows of the cars,” Walker told CBS.

“And the scariest part in one of the videos I made was a green car doing so many donuts that it went out of control and almost drove towards Target.

“And the whole crowd was pushed away.”

The video even shows some reckless youths acting tragically as they film the cars from their turning circle.

Street takeovers have soared in popularity since the pandemic, with some blaming the influence of the Fast and the Furious film franchise.

The Los Angeles Police Department recorded a record 7,654 takeovers in 2021, but the phenomenon has spread nationwide with at least eight confirmed deaths.

Hundreds of excited young people urged the drivers on despite the danger to themselves

Regular traffic was at a standstill when the rogue motorists took over the intersection

And the police also remained on the sidelines as the street takeover turned the intersection into a death trap

Residents in the area woke up at 2:30 am on Saturday morning to the chaos

Few regular motorists were willing to take their chances at the intersection as the illegal event unfolded

The next morning, tire tracks were still visible at the battered intersection

Walker had filmed a similar event at the same location just three months earlier

Three weeks ago, a 20-year-old pickup driver mowed down several pedestrians as he fled from Georgia police after participating in an illegal street show and eating donuts at a busy intersection in Atlanta.

Last week, LA County Supervisor Holly Mitchell said that “just crossing the street, returning home from work and the grocery store” had become dangerous because of the frequency of street takeovers.

Philadelphia police were also called to a separate takeover at Frankford and Cottman avenues in Mayfair, as the rival event took place in the city’s south side.

“There’s a fire station near here, an ambulance – maybe someone is dying and can’t get to the hospital because these kids are acting like fools,” one resident told ABC6.

“If you don’t punish the behavior, you’re just reinforcing the behavior,” he added.

“I honestly believe that the longer this is allowed to go on, the more violent it will become. People are dying.’

A spokesman for the city’s Democrat mayor, Jim Kenney, said: “Car rallies are disruptive, reckless and often dangerous. That is why the police have formed special teams of officers to monitor and tackle these events.”

Dailymail.com has contacted the Philadelphia Police Department.