Residents voice concerns over continued unsanctioned car meets in Delaware

PIKE CREEK, Delaware (WPVI) -- People in New Castle County, Delaware, say they have had enough of unsanctioned car meets.

Drivers have allegedly gathered several times outside the Pike Creek Shopping Center to drag race.

Neighbors who spoke with Action News say Saturday night was the second time in six months that people used the shopping center in Pike Creek for an unsanctioned car meet.

They are also worried it will continue to happen.

A video of the incident shows dozens of cars racing around the lot.

Residents said about 50 cars were in the parking lot, making a lot of noise and leaving behind a mess.

"All we heard was screeching and squeaking and loud mufflers," said Leonard Tehrani from Pike Creek. "Last night was just uncontrollable."

Videos showed that cars were doing doughnuts, drifting, and other stunts around 11:30 p.m. There are several skid marks on the ground where it happened.

"You're on someone's private property. Secondly, you don't have a permit to do such activity," said Tehrani. "There was drinking going on. There were people standing on top of cars that are not theirs."

The crowd left trash and beer bottles scattered on the ground after they left the scene.

Employees and cars were still in the parking lot when the car meet took place, an anonymous resident said. He's concerned someone will get hurt or a business will be damaged if this continues.

"Troopers went out, defused it, and it impacted a lot of northern New Castle County," said Delaware State Police Trooper Jeremiah Lloyd. "And it's coming off the cusp of a violent crime that happened a few short days ago."

Another unsanctioned car meet turned deadly in New Castle just last week.

Delaware State Police say about 100 cars were on Bear Corbitt Road when gunshots rang out.

A 17-year-old, later identified as Aaizeem Korden-Brown, was shot and killed. His 21-year-old friend was also shot and injured but survived.

Now residents are worried more violence will come if these car meets continue. They're also concerned about their own quality of life.

"It's basically trespassing. It is very rampant and it's very much an issue," said State Representative Mike Ramone.

Ramone discussed the problem during a community meeting on Sunday night.

He hopes to create partnerships with property owners to stop these drivers in their tracks.

"We are talking about trying to do something that gives them the ability to empower our police departments to be able to apprehend something like this, but they have to sign off on it," he said.

Ramone aims to enhance the penalties and pass new laws once the legislature is back in session in January.

Other residents agree it will be a community effort to stop the problem.

"We need to take steep and immediate action, bipartisan action because this is something that happened in our backyard that we wouldn't expect, but this happening nationwide," said Tehrani.

Ramone says he plans to have more meetings in the future to come up with solutions.