One of the 44 people arrested during a weekend crackdown on illegal street racing in Atlanta has been tied to similar activity in DeKalb County, police said.
Kimani Kennie Smith of Detroit is accused of organizing a series of street races that took place in the middle of a busy DeKalb intersection Sunday — one day before his arrest in Atlanta. DeKalb police announced that he will face charges in their county after his Fulton charges move through the court system.
Over the weekend, a large group of street racers engaged in reckless driving in the metro area including near Evans Mill...
Posted by DeKalb County Police Department on Tuesday, May 19, 2020
The racing, which included several cars drifting in circles, effectively shut down an Evans Mill Road intersection near I-20, police said. The illegal event left skid marks all across the road, according to Channel 2 Action News.
Video of the incident, which was posted to Facebook, has accumulated more than 4,000 shares. A large crowd can be seen watching a half-dozen vehicles drifting and burning rubber around the intersection.
Off the exit74
Posted by Allauh Aknar Patt on Sunday, May 17, 2020
Smith was among the dozens of people arrested in Atlanta last weekend in an operation to shut down street racing amid the coronavirus pandemic. Authorities have seen an uptick, which is being credited in part to the lack of vehicles on metro Atlanta’s roads.
RELATED: 44 arrested during crackdown on street racing, Atlanta police say
In addition to the arrests, police seized nearly 30 cars and issued more than 100 citations.
“Quite frankly, it’s a miracle that no one has been seriously hurt,” Atlanta police spokesman Carlos Campos told Channel 2. “If you watch some of the videos of the behavior they engage in, it’s incredibly disturbing.”
In early May, a video showed hundreds of people crowd The Mall West End to watch illegal stunt driving, AJC.com previously reported.
MORE: Viral video shows crowd at illegal stunt driving event in Atlanta
Since March, street racing has also led to arrests in Clayton and DeKalb counties.
A viral video captured drivers shut down the I-285 tunnel near Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, and a similar incident led to arrests on I-85 in DeKalb.
RELATED: Viral video shows crowd at illegal stunt driving event in Atlanta
Smith faces counts of reckless driving, criminal street gang activity and misdemeanor marijuana possession in Fulton County, jail records show. He was released Wednesday on a $23,000 bond.
The other suspects busted in Atlanta range in age from 17 to 43, including one with several television acting credits in the 1990s. Actress Maia Campbell was among those facing charges, Atlanta police confirmed to AJC.com.
MORE: Actress in 1990s TV sitcom among arrests in crackdown on Atlanta street racing