New Stockton sideshow deterrent put to the test just days after installation

A new sideshow deterrent is being tested in a North Stockton neighborhood after residents complained about drivers gathering at a wide intersection and spinning doughnuts late at night.

Stockton City Councilmember Michele Padilla said residents in District 1 had repeatedly contacted her about sideshows keeping them awake and raising concerns about reckless driving.

"We have the luxury of having wide streets, which mean wide intersections, which draws sideshows," Padilla said. "We get extreme amount of reports from residents being woken up from the hours of 12 o'clock to 3 a.m."

The deterrent was installed Thursday at Otto and Estate drives. Rather than functioning as a traditional roundabout, it breaks up the open center of the intersection while leaving stop signs in place at each approach.

But just four days after it was installed, CBS News Sacramento cameras captured a driver spinning around the new barriers.

When shown the video, Padilla reacted, "You're kidding me. They're going around it?!"

Neighbor Mike Perry said sideshows have been an ongoing problem near his home, sometimes drawing dozens of vehicles.

"They come out here in the middle of the night with 50, 60 cars, and they're lined up and down the street," Perry said.

Perry said drivers had also been at the intersection the day before CBS News Sacramento captured the latest incident.

He said his biggest concern is that reckless driving could eventually lead to someone being seriously hurt or killed.

"One of these times, somebody's going to run the light, run it the other way, and they're going to hit and kill somebody," Perry said.

Padilla said drivers who damage the deterrent could be held responsible for the cost of repairs.

She also pointed to the city's existing process for reports of reckless driving. Padilla said a registered owner can receive a warning after an initial report, while repeat reports can result in police contact and, after additional violations, a vehicle being towed.

Padilla said she hopes similar deterrents will be installed in other parts of Stockton, including near Trinity Parkway.