Dozens Of Cars Swarm 91 Freeway In Bellflower In Street Takeover
BELLFLOWER (CBSLA) – It was like a scene out of "The Fast and the Furious" when dozens of cars shut down a portion of the 91 Freeway in Bellflower with a street takeover early Monday morning.
At around 1 a.m. Monday, about 50 cars swarmed the eastbound 91 Freeway near its interchange with the 605 Freeway.
Clips on social media show cars stopped and pedestrians running on the freeway.
"Just a lot of loud, screeching, tire screeching," said Joe Gallagos, who lives right behind the freeway and was awoken by the chaos. "I'm sure a lot of people call the cops. By the time they get here, they're probably gone by then."
Officials with California Highway Patrol said about 100 people watched the takeover, which brought traffic on the freeway to a standstill.
"I feel sorry for truckers, they have a hard time stopping in a short space," Gallagos said.
Other neighbors said this was not the first time this has happened here.
"One o'clock in the morning," neighbor John Deneen said. "It's dark. The freeway's not that well lit. So, it can cause all kinds of problems."
When CHP responded, participants and spectators scattered, but authorities did stop four cars, cited three drivers for speeding and arrested one person for watching the takeover. The rest of the onlookers and participants got away.
"It's pretty crazy," Deenan added. "You see in the past that cars lose control and go into the crowd and kill and injure a lot of people."
Although these events typically happen quickly, those living nearby hope more is done to stop the takeovers from happening in the first place.
"Maybe some more cameras in the area to monitor the traffic and what's going on," Deneen said.