Street racing caused 6 deaths in Nashville so far in 2023, police say
Police warn that if anyone shows up to the races, they will be charged with trespassing and rioting.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - WSMV4 obtained a new Metro Nashville Police Department helicopter video that shows street racers doing donuts and burnouts in South Nashville.
It’s now part of their investigation into what police call an organized criminal enterprise.
“They all have group names. They have hierarchies within the group: who runs it, who posts, who decides where they’re going to go next,” said Metro Police Lieutenant Michael Gilliland.
The street races, known as takeovers, often happen on highways and in industrial lots. The people watching, or voyeurs, form large circles called pits, and the riders, which are called sliders, get in the middle and start doing their thing.
“They hang out the windows firing weapons. They’ll shoot bottle rockets,” said Gilliland.
Often, police said, they crash. Property gets damaged and people get hurt and die. Police said six people have died in Nashville this year alone.
When we told business owner Greg Lee that, he was not surprised.
“It’s dangerous,” said Lee who owns Fastener South Corporation.
Lee said he’s constantly showing up to work in the morning to find damage. He said a street racer lost control, and then crashed into a truck and two loading docks. The driver just left their totaled pickup behind.
“The truck was from Stewart County. It had Stewart County plates on it,” said Lee.
Police confirmed sliders often come in from out of town.
In one case, police said a guy actually flew in from California, rented a truck and then crashed it while racing.
Recently, officers arrested the leader of the “so-called” Night Riders, but they say the night riding hasn’t stopped.
“It’s not a matter of if you’re going to get caught. It’s just a matter of when. There are enough people that are providing us information, that are providing us video, that eventually we will get to you,” said Gilliland.
In the meantime, Lee just hopes he is not victimized next.
“Sooner or later they’re going to lose control out here and they’re going to hit the building. There’s no doubt in my mind that will happen,” said Lee. “I just hope that we’re not here when it happens.”
Police are warning that even if you are just showing up to watch one of these races if you’re within 300 feet of the action, you can be charged with trespassing and rioting.
Also, if a lender finds out your car was involved in one of these races, they will repo it, no questions asked.
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