When drivers on Interstate 880 in Oakland suddenly found themselves cut off by a civilian running a traffic break and a group of “stunt drivers” doing donuts across the northbound lanes, they flooded a CHP dispatch center with 911 calls.
“I’m very proud of our CSLEA members who are CHP dispatchers and the way in which they handled those calls, now released by the CHP,” said Alan Barcelona, president of the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA). “As true professionals who must dispatch emergency response, they didn’t get caught up in the dismay of it all, they got the facts they needed to get help out there and the facts that could help catch the reckless people who did this.”
The video of what happened can be found on YouTube. Much to the shock of law abiding citizen, the reckless drivers spun around, creating clouds of smoke from burning rubber. The activity is often called a “sideshow” or “freeway takeover.”
One caller told a dispatcher she had one vehicle’s license plate number. And several license plate numbers are visible in videos on YouTube. The CHP released the 911 calls it received and hopes someone with information will come forward.
