Multiple Sideshows Occur Overnight, 1 Shuts Down Highway 50 [VIDEO]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Police officers had their hands full overnight after a series of illegal sideshows throughout Sacramento, including one that shut down a major freeway.

The first sideshow occurred around 11:00 PM at the Power Inn light rail station on Power Inn Road and Folsom Blvd. At that location, a Sacramento police sergeant told Public Safety News that 1,000+ drivers and spectators participated in an illegal sideshow. When CHP officers went in to break up the incident, some of the participants started throwing rocks at the officers. More CHP officers and Sacramento police officers went in and blocked the entrances and exits to the parking lot, and proceeded to cite and release many of the drivers and spectators for illegal sideshow activity and illegal spectating.

Some vehicles attempted to flee the police officers by driving over sidewalks. One driver got stuck on the nearby freight train tracks, and another driver led police on a pursuit reaching speeds of 120+ MPH into West Sacramento, where he surrendered. That driver was found to be on parole out of Oakland.

A second sideshow popped up around 1:30 AM in the area of Younger Creek Drive and Elder Creek Road with a few hundred vehicles participating in another sideshow. One driver was contacted and cited for illegal sideshow activity, and his vehicle was towed. The other drivers were allowed to leave the area.

Shortly thereafter, the drivers from the Younger Creek Drive sideshow drove onto eastbound Highway 50. Just before the Stockton Blvd. off-ramp, the drivers blocked all lanes of the highway and started another sideshow, causing delays for drivers around 20 minutes. CHP responded to that sideshow, but all drivers fled the area immediately upon officer’s arrival. No vehicles were pursued by CHP.

Public Safety News was on scene for all three of the incidents and was able to obtain RAW drone footage of the Highway 50 sideshow, seen below.

Sacramento Police and CHP have been partnering to crack down on these illegal activities that have been increasing over the past few months.