Baltimore police to crack down on illegal off-road vehicles after deadly dirt bike crash

Baltimore City Police said it is ramping up dirt bike enforcement citywide in the aftermath of a deadly crash.

A traffic team is working to remove off-road vehicles from the streets and investigate other vehicle crimes. On Tuesday night, the driver of a dirt bike was killed after colliding with an SUV.

The driver of the SUV will not be charged, according to police.

"Driving dirt bikes in that manner is extremely dangerous," Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said on Wednesday. "Dirt bike culture is here, and it's not going anywhere. This is why we say that you can't be doing these things."

Neighbors with information about dirt bikes, where they are stored, and who is supplying them fuel can contact police via the Dirt Bike Tipline at 443-902-4474 or by emailing DirtBikeTips@baltimorepolice.org.

Baltimore City Councilman Zac Blanchard, who represents parts of South Baltimore, including Federal Hill, said many dirt bike hotspots fall in his district, especially near Federal Hill Park. He is trying to install speed bumps and even narrow roads there to make it less enticing for dirt bikers.

"If it's effective here, I hope this is something Department of Transportation, BPD, the Mayor's office, and my colleagues can use for other locations with similar challenges," Blanchard said.

Mixed reactions from neighbors

Neighbors who spoke with CBS News Baltimore have mixed reviews about the bikes.

"What's the difference between a motorcycle and a dirt bike? Tags. That's it. Get tags on them and let them boys ride," said Robert, a Baltimore resident.

Others said dirt bikes are dangerous in traffic.

"The way they're going through traffic, as I said, it's tragic that somebody had to lose their life, but I'm very not surprised that it didn't happen sooner," Baltimore resident Andre Baker said.

Investigation into fatal crash

A 37-year-old man who was riding a dirt bike was killed in a crash with an SUV on Tuesday evening in Northwest Baltimore, police said.

Officers responded around 8:50 p.m. to a vehicle crash in the 3000 block of Liberty Heights Avenue. The dirt bike rider was pronounced dead at the scene following the collision. His name has not been released.

The driver of the SUV will not be charged, officials say.

WJZ obtained security video of the crash, showing an SUV turning left into a shopping plaza on Liberty Heights Ave. A dirt bike is driving northbound and strikes the SUV that is making the turn.

Another dirt biker was detained, and his bike was confiscated. This happened at the same location as the fatal crash.

It's illegal to ride dirt bikes on city streets in Baltimore.

The driver of the SUV remained at the scene, according to police.

Baltimore City Crash Team investigators responded and took control of the investigation.

Anyone with information on the crash is asked to call the police at 410-396-2606 or the Metro Crime Stoppers Tipline at 1-866-7LOCKUP.