We aren’t against having a good time.
Daredevil drivers say that’s all they are trying to do when they take over our city’s streets to drag race and show off their motorized stunts.
But when their hijinks jeopardize their own safety along with the well-being of others — spectators, pedestrians and other motorists — it’s hardly just fun and games.
The three youths who were killed at an illegal drifting event in Brighton Park over the weekend died in an exchange of gunfire, not from being hit by a spinning car.
It would be irresponsible to attribute the murders, and the injuries of two other men, solely to Sunday morning’s unsanctioned gathering at Archer and Kedzie avenues. Shootings can break out anywhere, in schools, houses of worship and other spaces we erroneously deem safe.
Bullets forcing people to hit the ground during a street takeover are just another grim example of the gun violence that plagues Chicago.
It’s also a reminder that drifting will continue as we head toward the winter. Even if no one is hit by a bullet, the danger and risk remains.
Police and elected leaders must come together to root out the problem, not point fingers.
Those discussions can include whether police could have done things differently and responded more swiftly Sunday, as Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th) suggested. But the focus ought to be on new, additional solutions, since impounding drivers’ cars and imposing fines of up to $10,000 clearly haven’t been enough.
Lopez said police should be able to use the city’s salt and garbage trucks to block drivers itching to drift. But Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd), told Sun-Times reporter Tom Schuba that strategy would place city workers in harm’s way. Hopkins advocated for giving police more legal latitude in monitoring social media before the dicey events take place, and said he’s mulling over other “legislative solutions.”
Let’s hope it doesn’t take too long.
Residents like Mario Moreno, who found himself “confused” and “frightened” while trapped between drifters around the 4200 block of South Pulaski Road Saturday night, can’t afford to wait.
Moreno luckily was able to escape, but was horrified when he woke up the next day and learned what had unfolded in Brighton Park, as he wrote in a letter to the Sun-Times.
That could have been me, Moreno thought. Drifters disregard laws and put lives at risk, Moreno wrote, asking for harsher penalties to keep streets safe.
Police, politicians and hot-rod drivers should catch Moreno’s drift.
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