NOVATO, CA — Video footage showing street racing near a high school campus set off an investigation that ended with two pickup trucks seized, two teens cited, and a police warning.
Video footage handed to a school resource officer set off an investigation a street race San Marin Drive.
The incidents unfolded April 23 in front of San Marin High School, where footage showed two pickup trucks racing and spinning tires in the roadway. A second video captured another street race nearby Simmons Lane, close to a church playground.
Officers identified the drivers as two students, ages 16 and 17, and obtained a court order to seize both vehicles. Police impounded the trucks for 30 days. Authorities cited the teens for misdemeanor speed contest (street racing) violations and forwarded the case to juvenile probation.
The enforcement action follows a string of complaints about reckless driving in the area surrounding the school. Novato Police Department officials said they are taking a "zero-tolerance approach for street racing and dangerous driving" near students and neighborhoods.
Pedestrians and cyclists, uneven surfaces like potholes or gravel, and the absence of protective barriers found on racetracks can make street racing particularly dangerous, police said.
Police suggested "Top the Cops" drag racing at the Sonoma Raceway, where teens can practice skills.
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Novato, CA Patch
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