02-06-2025
Police dismantle five more car rallies across Maryland
Police dismantled five car rallies over the weekend, according to the Maryland Car Rally Task Force.
The Maryland Car Rally Task Force, in combination with other county police departments, conducted coordinated enforcement operations starting at 9:40 p.m. on June 1. Officers targeted public roads, industrial zones and parking lots throughout the county.
High visibility enforcement and patrols prevented crowds of up to 400 people from shutting down roadways and engaging in exhibition driving events, according to police.
Where did the rallies take place?
The task force responded to five locations across Prince George's County:
4600 Hargrove Drive in Lanham
15887 Commerce Court in Upper Marlboro
9172 Hampton Drive in Capital Heights
12018 Indian Creek Court in Beltsville
812 Oregon Avenue in Linthicum Heights
Maryland Car Rally Task Force cracks down on exhibition driving
In May, Maryland State Police dismantled three car rallies in Prince George's County. In the process, they arrested a man who they accused of stealing a car connected to a Baltimore County car dealership.
In February, five people between the ages of 19 and 22 were arrested in another street racing takedown, where police said they stopped seven events.
WJZ obtained video showing a large car rally blocking the intersection of Auchentoroly and Gwynns Falls in Northwest Baltimore.
The broader crackdown on car rallies came in June 2024, after House Bill 601 made exhibition driving and street races illegal in Maryland.
The law defines exhibition driving as operating a vehicle close to a crowd and intentionally skidding, swerving while accelerating or causing the wheels to lose contact with the ground, among other actions.
In December 2024, authorities arrested five people, four of them minors, after a task force disrupted 10 illegal car gatherings over a single weekend.
