CHP officers foil 57 Freeway takeover in Anaheim; 6 cars impounded

Half a dozen cars were impounded and their drivers and spectators detained when California Highway Patrol officers broke up an attempted street takeover on the 57 Freeway overnight, authorities said.

When a street racing task force operating nearby learned of the plan to shut down the freeway, officers created a traffic break ahead of the cars, said CHP Sgt. Jesus Sanchez.

Video from the scene taken shortly after 1 a.m. Saturday shows assorted vehicles stopped and being towed in the southbound lanes north of the Orangewood exit in Anaheim, with a group of people detained along the shoulder.

“Several of these individuals, most of them are going to be run through our system,” to check on any outstanding warrants, Sanchez said. “A few of them, unfortunately, are going to be taken into custody for spectating at a street racing event, which is unlawful, and that’s what we’re enforcing here.”

Ultimately, six cars were impounded, and no arrests were made, a CHP dispatcher said later Saturday morning.

Street takeovers, or sideshows, are a public safety danger throughout Southern California, sometimes drawing dozens of participants. They often have police lookouts and sometimes even drones that check for law enforcement, officials say, while participants show off their exploits on social media.