For 37 racers, that's the brakes Olive Branch halts dragsters' practice
By Lesley Young [email protected] January 9, 2003
Revving engines and screeching tires aren't the soothing sounds Helen Bryant wants to hear as she tries to sleep.
The 45-year-old Olive Branch woman has to be at work at 4 a.m.
Her neighborhood is near State Line Road and Polk Lane, where Olive Branch police issued tickets to 37 people Saturday night for obstructing traffic during illegal drag races.
"People going to work can't get there because they block the road," Bryant said. "They act like they own the road. They need to stay in their neighborhood, and not be coming into ours."
Police Chief Jim Harris said last Saturday's speedhounds raced right into a trap.
"We came up from the south and blocked it off right before they started to drag," he said.
"The other spectators jumped in their cars and took off and whipped into a cove that was a dead end, and there was nothing they could do."
Most of those cited were from Memphis, although two were from Olive Branch. The charge carries a fine of $96.
"A lot of them were lined up in here yesterday to pay the $96," Harris said Tuesday. "I think that'll keep them from coming back for awhile."
The racing began last summer; vehicles include motorcycles, cars, trucks, Minimotos and four-wheelers.
Harris said racers can be arrested only if they're caught in the act, and that's not easy to do since they scatter when police arrive.
According to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, there were about 100 illegal racing citations issued statewide last year, one following an accident.
"It's very dangerous," said Warren Strain, director of public affairs for the Mississippi DPS.
"If we have reports of it or become aware of it, we'll focus on the necessary procedures to stop it."
Some young people in the neighborhood have seen the races.
"They throw beer bottles everywhere, and we can't ride our bikes," said Terrell Clark, 13.
Although there haven't been any accidents, residents are worried that the racers will be back.
"I've got a daughter who comes home at night," Bryant said. "It's scary."
- Lesley Young: (901) 333-2037
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------half of thats crap trying to make us look bad i gues su just cant get waya from haters tho
hate article from my area
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scream240sx
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- Car: cars, music
solution:
1. quit being idiots
1a. Dont try to block off the whole street. This is not the fast and furious. And christ, if you were really trying to mimic the movie, at least get scanners like they had so you can hear the obvious reports of "ILLEGAL STREET RACING LETS SET A TRAP AND GET THEM RED HANDED" etc. Come to think about it, dont race on the street at all. 1b. If you absolutly HAVE to race on the street, friggin do it where you know the area. Trying to escape with a dead end street!? WTF!??? 1c. Dont drink and drive, and if you bring people who do, farking collect your trash. Honestly- just cause you're bein an a ss in one manner doesnt you have to do it in another manner as well. For god's sake, think of little Terrell! 1d. and fight the ticket! seriously you could at least get it reduced saying you're a bystander or something. just paying it right off the bat like that is for suckers and honest people (even though there may be no difference between the two).
JEEEZ
1. quit being idiots
1a. Dont try to block off the whole street. This is not the fast and furious. And christ, if you were really trying to mimic the movie, at least get scanners like they had so you can hear the obvious reports of "ILLEGAL STREET RACING LETS SET A TRAP AND GET THEM RED HANDED" etc. Come to think about it, dont race on the street at all. 1b. If you absolutly HAVE to race on the street, friggin do it where you know the area. Trying to escape with a dead end street!? WTF!??? 1c. Dont drink and drive, and if you bring people who do, farking collect your trash. Honestly- just cause you're bein an a ss in one manner doesnt you have to do it in another manner as well. For god's sake, think of little Terrell! 1d. and fight the ticket! seriously you could at least get it reduced saying you're a bystander or something. just paying it right off the bat like that is for suckers and honest people (even though there may be no difference between the two).
JEEEZ
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big jon's 240
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wow it looks like that Olive Branch Woman is the city hero!
In the Dallas Morning News Today there was an article about rolling roadblocks. There starting this thing on dallas highways where polices cars will get in a formation and take up the entire road so no one will pass. The police chief says its supposed to cut down on "speeders" it said something like 27 fatal accidents, or maybe just 27 accidents happened last year, I bet more than half had to do with DUI. Just wondering how "rolling roadblocks" would fix that problem.
Any other cities have stuff like that?
In the Dallas Morning News Today there was an article about rolling roadblocks. There starting this thing on dallas highways where polices cars will get in a formation and take up the entire road so no one will pass. The police chief says its supposed to cut down on "speeders" it said something like 27 fatal accidents, or maybe just 27 accidents happened last year, I bet more than half had to do with DUI. Just wondering how "rolling roadblocks" would fix that problem.
Any other cities have stuff like that?
trying to block off a street is pretty dumb. where we go, there never is anyone, but we let people pass. and often enough cops show up there. watch, there are even a couple of cops that drive there ta's and vetts and race there. as long as were not driving wrecklessly, and they dont see any drugs, they dont ever break us up. Now when a guy in a trans amm sat there, and did a big *** burn out, then got traction and ended up in a ditch, we had to leave.
johnpoppy wrote:hey In the Dallas Morning News Today there was an article about rolling roadblocks. There starting this thing on dallas highways where polices cars will get in a formation and take up the entire road so no one will pass. The police chief says its supposed to cut down on "speeders" it said something like 27 fatal accidents, or maybe just 27 accidents happened last year, I bet more than half had to do with DUI. Just wondering how "rolling roadblocks" would fix that problem.
Any other cities have stuff like that?
That's possibly the stupidest thing I've ever heard. One cop would do the job. Who the f**k would be stupid enough to pass a cop speeding? Think about it. They'd get pulled over immediately. Just another waste of people, reasources and tax money.
Nick.
Quote »That's possibly the stupidest thing I've ever heard. One cop would do the job. Who the f**k would be stupid enough to pass a cop speeding? Think about it. They'd get pulled over immediately. Just another waste of people, reasources and tax money.[/quote]
Exactly! Dallas is unbelievebly over its head in shortfall. like we are talking billions...
Exactly! Dallas is unbelievebly over its head in shortfall. like we are talking billions...
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scream240sx
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- Joined: Sat Dec 07, 2002 9:55 am
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yea i stick to racing where its legal it just turns out that half the group might as well out arrest me give me a ticket on their car. especially when they r goin freaking 100 down the street to a spot to race. yea ill hang out but when the go to the spot no... they are finally getting the picture that it shouldnt be alot of people and the scanners even though it wont do much good because the cops use digitaly scrambled and you cant pick it up.