DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – Dayton authorities are speaking out against a dangerous driving practice called hooning.
Hooning is another term for dangerous street shows that include reckless activities such as street racing, performing doughnuts, burnouts, squealing tires and engine revving as well as allowing passengers to ride partially or fully outside of the motor vehicle. According to authorities, these events are heavily social media driven.
Major Jason Hall told 2 NEWS that they received reports of several cars driving recklessly in Dayton’s downtown around 1 a.m. on Sunday, January 15. When officers arrived on the scene, they found a large crowd surrounding vehicles performing donuts, burnouts and other reckless activities in the middle of intersections.
“A lot of people are involved and it’s a behavior we find very concerning,” Maj. Hall said. ” Once again, it’s extremely dangerous, not only to the bystanders and the public as a whole but to the people participating in it – the videos are somewhat horrific.”
Officers worked to break up the crowd, however, it took some time as the number of people required a larger response. One woman was arrested during this incident and charged with obstructing official business as well as resisting arrest. She also faces several other citations.
Authorities are also working to shut these activities down. In October 2022, Representative Phil Plummer said he would introduce bills 4511.253 and 4511.254 that would prohibit hooning as well as being a spectator at a hooning event.
The Dayton Police Department said they work with officials, both in the city and outside of it, to ensure events like these do not continue.
