CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A Charlotte neighborhood is trying to slam the brakes on street racers. There have been reports of hundreds of people gathering each weekend to race down Highway 16 at dangerous speeds in the middle of the night.
On person who lives in the area said it’s worrisome. “About 100 cars come to the Mountain Island Library and prepare to race. And I’ve heard it from my house with windows closed.”
It’s not known who’s driving these cars, but neighbors can confidently say it’s driving them crazy. The loud noises heard between 11:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. are waking their kids up just hours after getting them to bed.
Charlotte’s no stranger to street racing tragedies. In 2011, 23-year-old Tyler Stasko was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. He killed three people when his car slammed into another vehicle. He was street racing.
And over the summer in Mountain Island, a volunteer firehouse was reportedly hit by a car that was racing.
Friday evening, NBC Charlotte caught even more video showing motorcyclists racing down streets of west Charlotte. Neighbors hope to put the brakes on speeders before someone gets hurt.
“The noise violation alone is a problem, in addition to the safety,” a neighbor said.
Several people said they’ve reached out to police about this and feel their concerns are falling on deaf ears.
NBC Charlotte asked CMPD if they were aware of the problem. We have not yet heard back.