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OGDEN — Ogden police cracked down on illegal street racing along Washington Boulevard Saturday night.
At least six people were booked into the Weber County Jail for investigation of exhibition driving, according to jail documents. Ogden Police Lt. William Farr said final statistics were still being tabulated Monday. But he noted that multiple officers in unmarked patrol cars were used to crack down on street racing, something that has been increasing in recent months.
According to multiple police booking affidavits, drivers were arrested for going more than 60 mph, and sometimes more than 70 mph, in 35 mph and 40 mph zones.
In one incident, a MazdaSpeed and a Volkswagen GTI were spotted at the intersection of Washington Boulevard and 2nd Street initially going 35 mph.
"After a short distance, both vehicles rapidly accelerated and gained speeds to which an unmarked police vehicle had to obtain speeds in excess of 60 mph in order to maintain visual on the vehicles. The speed contest was recorded on body worn camera and officers maintained visual on both vehicles until they were stopped in the 2200 block of Grant Avenue," police wrote in one affidavit. The 18-year-old driver in the GTI was arrested.
In another incident, two cars were spotted near 28th Street and Washington Boulevard taking off from the intersection at a high rate of speed, an affidavit states. Officers in an unmarked patrol car were behind the vehicles.
"My assisting officer who was driving, sped up to pace the vehicles speed. We found our speedometer at 71 mph and both vehicles were still pulling away from us. The race ended in the 2700 block of Washington Boulevard," the affidavit states. The drivers, a 20-year-old woman and a 21-year-old man, were arrested.
In a third incident, officers in an unmarked patrol car were behind two "bullet bikes" at the intersection of 12th Street and Washington Boulevard.
"As the light turned green both bikes, side by side, went southbound and while following behind them in an unmarked unit, speeds reached approximately 70 mph. Due to being an unmarked unit, I kept eyes on the bikes until a marked unit could stop them. I continued following the bullet bikes to 31st Washington Boulevard," the officer wrote in the affidavit.
At that intersection, one of the motorcycle riders then engaged in a second race with a car, the affidavit states.
"Due to being in the unmarked unit, I was able to follow directly behind the bullet bike and speeds reached approximately 70 mph according to the speedometer in my unmarked unit. The two vehicles were accelerating together and was apparent they were racing each other due to excessive speeds," the arresting officer wrote. The 25-year-old bullet bike rider was arrested.
In yet another incident, a 20-year-old man driving a Cadillac was recorded going 59 mph in a 35 mph zone near 15th Street and Washington Boulevard, according to police.
"The driver… admitted that he was trying to show off to people," police wrote in the affidavit.
An 18-year-old man was arrested in another incident and was booked for investigation of an additional charge of DUI. In that case, the arresting officer was near 7th Street and Washington Boulevard when he "observed two vehicles rev their engines," a booking affidavit states. The 18-year-old then took off at a high rate of speed, reaching 65 mph about three blocks later before hitting a curb, according to the affidavit.
"The driver was observed being uncoordinated, sluggish, with thick, slurred speech, and drowsy, droopy, bloodshot eyes," in addition to having an odor of alcohol on his breath, the affidavit states.
Farr said the uptick in racing has also result in an uptick in crashes and serious accidents. He said Ogden police want to make sure the public is safe and can enjoy a night out without having to worry about being hit by a street racer.
"We're trying to continue enforcement, especially during those times when they come to race on the boulevard," he said. "We want to make sure the public is safe, without them worrying about other traffic."
Farr said the department would be conducting additional enforcement efforts at random times, days and places so street racers won't know when undercover officers are watching them.
