Local officials came out in force in response to a town-wide “Fast and Furious” incident that threatened motorists and left a young woman severely injured.
State Senator Tony Palumbo and Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio assembled a cast of elected leaders to back their bill to stiffen penalties for organized racing events. They were incensed over a late-night episode that spanned three Suffolk police precincts, tying up emergency vehicles and frightening residents.
“We’re here today to address what’s become an issue that is essentially at critical mass known as street takeovers,” Senator Anthony Palumbo said at a press conference that included state, county, and Town of Brookhaven officials. “They created a very dangerous and substantially outrageous situation for the community because obviously it’s noisy. They are terrorizing the communities as a result of this conduct.”
The drivers, egged on by hundreds of spectators drawn by reports on social media, raced and spun their cars in circles in the Mastic/Shirley area, Patchogue, and Miller Place. They were motivated by the "Fast and Furious" movies starring Vin Diesel that glorify illegal street racing.
According to the senator, the racers took over an intersection on Route 25A in Miller Place for over 15 minutes, blocking an ambulance trying to pass.
“When we heard about it this weekend, first thing Monday morning, we were able to craft some new legislation,” Palumbo said, pointing out that a crime called “disrupting emergency medical services” is already on the books as a misdemeanor. The new bill would elevate it to a felony.
“We all can agree unanimously that this is an extremely dangerous situation,” he said, adding that the bill also targets the obstruction of vehicular traffic entering or passing through intersections or otherwise engaging in reckless conduct. The legislation would also give law enforcement the power to seize a suspect’s vehicle.
“Do we know who they are? Absolutely. Why? Technology is great,” said County Executive Ed Romaine. “We went to our red light cameras that were at the intersections they went through and we were able to get their license plates, and the police are following up. And that’s what we need. The first obligation of any government is public safety. If you can’t maintain safety on your roads, you’re not doing your job.”
Romaine noted that he included funds for 225 new police officers in the budget proposal he submitted earlier this month. “We are going to have a county where law and order prevail, and this reckless driving is prevented. Only with deterrents are we going to have the safety that we all should expect from our local government,” he said, pointing out that Suffolk police have arrested some of the drivers involved.
“As we continue to witness the rise of reckless driving in our communities, it’s clear that immediate action is necessary to protect public safety and ensure that our emergency vehicles can operate without obstruction,” said Giglio, the bill’s Assembly sponsor. “The incident in Brookhaven serves as a stark reminder of the risks posed to both drivers and pedestrians when individuals choose to engage in this illegal activity. These measures are crucial for deterring dangerous behavior and providing law enforcement with the tools needed to hold offenders accountable.”
“There’s no way we’re going to let this happen in our communities,” said Assemblyman Joe DeStefano, who spent 27 years with the Suffolk Sheriff’s Office. “Many of these reckless individuals came from out of town, but many of the spectators were local, drawn to it through Social Media. One bystander was struck by an out-of-control vehicle and suffered a broken leg and pelvis. We’re sending a message: don’t come here to do this. We will get you,” DeStefano said.
“They got a few individuals and impounded a few vehicles so far and issued a bunch of tickets,” reported Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico. “There were numerous vehicle pursuits. Many police precincts had this same issue from the same group. One car seized was from Roosevelt. There was a police pursuit of another and an arrest,” the supervisor said. “I encourage our Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney to seize all the vehicles if allowed by the law.”
Wrote resident Lisa Carrick-Byank on Facebook: “Make examples of them all. The reason why they felt they could get away with it is because they have been. They see the ATVs on the roads being reckless and nothing being done about it and figure nothing will come of this either. Prove them wrong.”
“Here is the thing: when you catch them and impound their vehicles, they should automatically lose their license on the spot,” said Harold Giannakopoulos. Put them behind bars until their arraignment. Give them a $10,000 fine paid in cash. If they don't have it, they do 90 days behind bars.”