More than a dozen people were arrested following a sweep targeting illegal street racing in Southern California, spurred by an early morning attempted takeover of the 105 Freeway near Hawthorne.
Dozens of cars blocked the eastbound lanes from Crenshaw Boulevard to Vermont Street around 3 a.m. in a so called "takeover" by street racers.
"We made 18 arrests. We handed out 27 citations and we towed 26 vehicles. They ranged from evading to DUI," said Officer Dion Conley with California Highway Patrol.
CHP confirmed it is
Earlier the group shut down Crenshaw Blvd where they performed donuts and other stunt driving dangerously close to spectators who took cell phone videos and then posted them to social media.
The CHP said those arrested were not only street racing participants but also spectators who tried to block police from entering the area to make arrests.
The charges include those related to stolen firearms, drugs and unlicensed driving.
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The CHP said it has been targeting these sort of gatherings, which it said are a hazard to the roads.
Social media plays a large role in organizing these type of events and the agency will continue to monitor those channels as they continue a crackdown on illegal street racing.
