Street Racing, Road 'Takeover' Leads To 4 Arrests In Hillsborough

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — A group of about 100 people and 50 cars blocked off Hillsborough intersections to do donuts, burnouts, and racing on two occasions which led to the arrest of four people so far, Hillsborough Police Chief Michael McMahon announced Thursday,.

McMahon also said additional charges are expected.

On Sept. 10 at 1:04 am, Hillsborough Police responded to a report of a large crowd and vehicles doing burnouts and donuts in the intersection of Willow Road and Hillsborough Road.

Police found a large crowd of around 100 people and ordered them to disperse. The crowd refused to immediately disperse, and numerous people advanced toward police units, said McMahon.

A white BMW, which was seen driving recklessly in the intersection, then backed up toward a marked patrol unit and did a burnout, said McMahon.

On Oct. 14 at 4:01 a.m., Hillsborough Police responded to a report of motor vehicles racing and driving recklessly at the intersection of Dukes Parkway East and Route 206.

Police saw around 100 people on foot around the intersection and about 50 vehicles were parked along the southbound lanes of Route 206 near the intersection.

The intersection of Dukes Parkway East and Route 206 was blocked in all directions by the people on foot and in vehicles cheering and enabling other actors in vehicles to perform burnouts and donuts in the blocked-off intersection, known as a "takeover," said McMahon.

Hillsborough police tried to disperse the crowd, at which time 15 to 20 people began to surround police vehicles, blocking them from reaching the intersection and shining laser pointers at responding units’ windshields, said McMahon.

Some people hit the patrol vehicles' doors and windshields with their hands, said McMahon.

As the crowd began to disperse, police tried to conduct a motor vehicle stop on a white BMW, who then backed up toward patrol units, conducted a burnout, and fled north on Route 206, said McMahon.

Following an investigation four people were charged:

• Michael Patrick Steiner, 21, of Sayerville, was charged with riot (fourth-degree), endangering another person (fourth-degree), obstructing administration of law (fourth-degree), disorderly conduct (petty disorderly persons offense), and obstructing highways and other public passages (petty disorderly persons offense).
• David Panevsky, 24, of North Middletown was charged with eluding (second-degree), riot (fourth-degree), endangering another person (fourth-degree), obstructing administration of law (fourth-degree), disorderly conduct (petty disorderly persons offense), and obstructing highways and other public passages (petty disorderly persons offense).
• Dmytrius Bell, 20, of Hillsborough, was charged with riot (fourth-degree), endangering another person (fourth-degree), obstructing administration of law (fourth-degree), disorderly conduct (petty disorderly persons offense), and obstructing highways and other public passages (petty disorderly persons offense).
• Jake Cossrow, 18, of Philadelphia, PA was charged with riot (fourth-degree), endangering another person (fourth-degree), obstructing administration of law (fourth-degree), disorderly conduct (petty disorderly persons offense), and obstructing highways and other public passages (petty disorderly persons offense).

McMahon said this investigation is ongoing. He also thanked the following agencies for their assistance with this investigation: Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, Somerville Police Department, Raritan Police Department, Bridgewater Township Police Department, Franklin Township Police Department.

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