Crashes, Thefts, Mayhem From Illegal Car Show In Camden County: Police

BERLIN, NJ — An unauthorized car show in a Camden County parking lot spurred crashes, shoplifting and disorder, authorities said.

Police were dispatched to the event just before 6 p.m. Friday for reports of speeding and other issues at the Berlin Shopping Center (328 S White Horse Pike, Berlin). The event attracted a large crowd and more than 1,000 vehicles, according to law enforcement.

Authorities later learned that the event was advertised on social media as "Mega Meet; New York VS New Jersey VS Pennsylvania." Police were not alerted beforehand because of "the obvious concern of crowd and vehicle control," according to the Berlin Police Department.

The first-arriving officers found the parking lot overflowing, causing "major" transit issues on the White Horse Pike, Tansboro Road, Florence Avenue and at surrounding businesses, police said. Vehicles parked on the sidewalks, shoulders and grass of multiple surrounding streets and parking lots, authorities said.

Multiple people were urinating in public, according to police.

Berlin police established a command post to ensure the safety of all involved. But complaints began to increase regarding issues with traffic, parking and pedestrian access, as patrons weren't able to get into the shopping center. So police blocked off all entrances to close access to the event.

Monaco Indoor Karting, a nearby go-karting business, had granted access for the event, police said. But the owner of the shopping center advised that the event wasn't permitted and had to stop immediately.

Monaco did not immediately return comment to Patch.

Law enforcement from Berlin and surrounding communities guided the crowd out of the parking lot. But as attendees left, police received calls about shoplifting, loud vehicles driving recklessly and two crashes.

Officers also responded to Pasta Vino, McDonald's, Scotto's Pizza, Royal Farm's, Prime Storage and other nearby businesses for small car meets beginning at the locations.

All vehicles were requested to leave, and they complied in an orderly fashion.

Nobody was injured in the crashes.

Police continue to investigate the incident.