'Lawless' Wildwood Car Rally Can't Be Repeated, Communities Say

WILDWOOD, NJ — Two people were killed, others were injured and so far, two have been charged in connection with the H20i pop-up car rally this past weekend. Now, communities are seeking to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Local authorities continue to investigate the chaotic weekend that caused death and damage. Middle Township is one such community, and officials released a statement saying that they were investigating and exploring possible ordinances to prevent such rallies.

"The criminal element within these groups, from outside our county, with absolutely zero respect for the law or for the safety and welfare of our communities, must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The message must be loud and clear," Middle Township Mayor Tim Donohue said.

Drivers filled the Lowe's parking lot on Friday, and Donahue said that township police prepared to control all major parking lots overnight with the help of staff and vehicles from Public Works. Twelve units from New Jersey State Police assisted on Sunday morning. He called the event "lawless mayhem."

"While local and state law enforcement agencies were aware of this unsanctioned event coming to our area, no one anticipated the sheer volume of cars arriving so suddenly from multiple states," Donohue said. "We can state that due to our best efforts, there were no serious injuries or major property damage in the Township."

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Wildwood Mayor Pete Byron told Fox 29 Philadelphia that he would take action to ensure that the rally doesn't happen again.

"They won't be back next year," he told the news station. "I can look you in the eye and say it won't happen."

"It is far past time that our lawmakers make it known that those who commit crimes and threaten law-abiding Americans is absolutely unacceptable and that punishments will be severe," Congressman Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02) said in a statement, adding that "these types of crimes have no room in South Jersey."

Sen. Robert Singer, representing the 30th District, called for a statewide task force to address pop-up parties, not only the one in Wildwood, but other parties that Jersey Shore towns dealt with over the summer. Read More: Pop-Up Jersey Shore Car Rally Sparks Renewed Call For NJ To Help Towns

"The tragic loss of life in Wildwood this weekend should serve as a wake-up call for anyone who thinks the concerns we raised about pop-up parties over the past year are overblown," Singer said. "I hope the administration will finally act on our request to create a task force of state and local officials who can work together to develop an effective coordinated plan to respond to future events."

The Wildwood Board of Commissioners said that local police were "grossly outmanned" dealing with the rally.

Wildwood police and fire responded, along with State Police, and police from the Wildwoods, Atlantic City, Ocean City, Upper, Middle, Lower and Cape May, the commissioners said in a statement. Wildwood Mayor Pete Byron spoke directly with Gov. Phil Murphy to call in additional support, the commissioners said.

"This tragedy demonstrates exactly why anyone planning to organize a large gathering must coordinate with local officials to keep both participants and community members safe. No one deserves to have their business, home, or life endangered by the careless actions of others. The Administration will remain in contact with municipalities and continue to offer State resources and support to affected communities," a spokesperson for Murphy told NJ Advance Media.

The H2oi rally was previously held in Ocean City, Maryland, where the mayor said the town was "under siege," according to the Baltimore Sun. In 2019, a driver hit an adult and child in the road while doing burnouts with their car, the news outlet reported.

In 2018, Ocean City enacted a law that allowed for a temporary "Special Event Zone," which reduced speed limits to 30 mph and increased penalties for things like doing burnouts, speeding and revving engines, to deter H2oi from being held there.

"Make no mistake that the tragic and dangerous events over the last several days in Wildwood, Rio Grande, Seaville and surrounding communities are a direct result of the organizers of a pop-up car rally self-identified as H2Oi or H2O22," Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland said in a statement. "Directing hundreds if not thousands of people driving high-performance vehicles to an area without any planning, staging or permitting created the chaos that led to these deaths and injuries."