What To Do If You Are Approaching A Street Takeover

In the last few weeks the term street takeover has become a common refrain throughout the state of Connecticut. In fact, just this past weekend there were four street takeovers in four different towns in the state. Take for instance this one in Milford where it was estimated that over 100 cars and 150 people were taking part in this dangerous activity. When these events happen there is a significant risk of getting into a New Haven auto accident if you’re not careful and don’t take the necessary precautions.

First it is important to understand what this type of event actually is and how to tell if you’re approaching one. The vast majority of street takeovers occur late at night and into the early morning hours. Large groups of people bring their cars to a specific area where they intend to stop their vehicles and often get out of their vehicles to not allow traffic to get through a particular street. Attendees of the street takeovers often wear face coverings so they cannot be identified by law enforcement. Given that these events occur at night, they can be quite hard to navigate and are often dangerous for those who are involved and for anyone who may approach them as an innocent bystander or passer by.

With so many people involved these can be very difficult events for law enforcement to control and often the police are well outnumbered by those who are attending the street takeover. When this happens, police will often work to disperse the crowd and then once the crowd has been dispersed release footage of the situation to the public at large to help identify those who are involved in the street takeover.

If you happen to be out late at night or into the early morning hours of a particular day there is a chance that you would come in contact with one of these street takeovers. Here are some steps you can take to make sure you do not get into any trouble of your own and you avoid getting into an accident that could cause you an injury.

1.) When you arrive on the scene you should immediately turn your vehicle around and find an alternate route. You should do this in a safe manner and take your time as you turn around. If you can identify what is happening early on then you will be able to do this inconspicuously without worrying about any of the people who are involved in the street takeover becoming aware that you are trying to avoid them and go the other way.

2.) Do not panic. These events can be scary and you may become worried for your safety. This is natural and you should do your very best to stay calm when you approach. Panicking will put you in a situation where you are not thinking rationally which may cause you to make rash decisions and put yourself in an even more dire situation then you were by just approaching one of these events that you weren’t involved in in the first place.

3.) Call 911. You should not approach the people who are involved in this type of activity and you should immediately notify the authorities that activity like this is happening. While this may not help your situation immediately it will allow the police to regain control of the situation and clear the event before it gets out of hand and causes anyone else to get injured.

Taking these steps when you see that you may be approaching a street takeover will go a long way in keeping you from getting into a New Haven auto accident and it will also go a long way in allowing the police to do their job and get this type of event dispersed. When the proper authorities are notified of this type of criminal activity and you can remove yourself from harm’s way it can be handled appropriately while you remain safe and free from any injury.

If you aren’t able to remove yourself from this type of situation and you find yourself getting wrapped up in it or injured as a result of the activity that is going on you may wish to speak with someone about the situation. Contact our office and one of our experienced attorneys will review your situation and work with you to protect your long-term interests.