Kentucky lawmaker plans to introduce bill allowing cars seized for street racing to be crushed

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- City and state leaders are looking for ways to crack down on street racing, including more severe punishments for people caught racing and spectating.

Kentucky Rep. Jason Nemes, R-Middletown, would like to have your car crushed if it's involved in a street race or street takeover.

"This coming session I will introduce a bill that would allow the crushing of cars used in street racing. Street racing is becoming more and more common, and other places have found that crushing cars reduces street racing and taking over streets for unlawful behavior related to cars," he said in a social media post last month.

It's an approach Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg has said he supports.

"One innovative approach that some other states are taking are not only are they confiscating car, but when they confiscate cars, they crush them. I strongly support legislation," Greenberg said in September.

The Louisville Metro Police Department has almost 70 cars in their tow lot that have been involved in such events. In order to get your car back, you have to go in front of the city's Code Enforcement Board.

Around midnight on Saturday, Aug. 31, the intersection of 2nd Street and River Road became a smoke-filled, tire-shredding, exhibition of horsepower and a smorgasbord of violations for the police including people who were just spectating.

During a Sept. 27 code enforcement hearing, the board heard from three people attempting to get their cars returned after LMPD seized them for blocking a street during a takeover.

Police said there were three street takeover events on Aug. 31, and one of the first cars to arrive at every event was BMW convertible.

“These events are not just pop-up events. They are talking, I mean, they have radios, you name it. They are setting up to block streets, they are very organized in the way they do these things., said an unidentified police officer during the hearing.

The same officer said the organizers of these events have radios and coordinate which intersections to shut down as he pointed to a car on a monitor. "I want you to keep an eye on the BMW," he said.

Police seized that BMW convertible with the help of license plate readers, flock and surveillance cameras. The cops thought he was an organizer, but the BMW driver said he was just following a group of cars around the city to kill time on Saturday night.

“I'm not related in any type of takeovers, I never had a radio, it was just, so see, I never got out of my car because I don’t know anybody there,” said the unidentified BMW driver. “I don’t think I was blocking intersections.”

Louisville's streets as of late have been a playground for street racers. The guy with the BMW convertible will lose his car for six months, pay a $1,000 fine and towing fees.