A Queens lawmaker is demanding that the NYPD arrest those connected to a massive and dangerous early-morning car meetup on Saturday that saw drivers turn fiery tricks in the middle of a quiet neighborhood.
The shocking incident unfolded at the intersection of 69th Street and Eliot Avenue on the Maspeth/Middle Village boundary just before 2 a.m. on April 18, where a bunch of amateur car enthusiasts decided to put on a fiery stunt show.
A video from the incident, provided by local City Council Member Phil Wong, shows a massive ring of fire in the middle of the intersection and drivers of vehicles performing donuts and other tricks around it. Dozens of people in their own cars gathered around the display, which was located near two gas stations.
The driver of one vehicle doing donuts around the ring of fire was seen raising a Palestinian flag from out the window. A large horde of lookers could be seen running into the fire holding their cellphones while the cars narrowly missed mowing them down.
Officers from the 104th Precinct rushed to the location, sending the car-driving mob fleeing. During the chaos, police reported, three people involved jumped on the hood of an NYPD cruiser, smashing the windshield. The suspects were ultimately able to escape in a car.
Wong was incensed over the incident, demanding that those involved be found and taken into custody.
“I have been assured that arrests will be made, and I will hold the NYPD to it. This must never happen again,” Wong said. “Additional units will be out tonight, including drones and helicopters, to prevent this kind of chaos from happening again.”
Wong said he has been in constant contact with Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch’s office about the incident. Over the weekend, skid marks could be seen left burnt into the roadway just outside the gas station where the meetup took place.
“It’s insane that any community would allow people to terrorize their neighborhood like that,” one commenter by the name of Jesse wrote in response to the video.
“My grandparents lived around the corner from this intersection… hard to believe this kind of lawless behavior has come to what used to be a very quiet, safe neighborhood,” Alan Konig added.
Wong stated that his office was inundated with phone calls complaining about the situation. He has pledged to “not put up with this garbage.”
Anyone with information regarding this incident or the suspects’ whereabouts can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
