Illegal street takeovers — with stunts and noise — are growing as states try to crack down

In this image taken from surveillance video, two cars drive in a circle amid a crowd of onlookers in Prince George’s County, Md. Illegal street takeovers, where drivers block roads to perform stunts, have become an increasing concern in cities across the country. (Image via video courtesy of Prince George’s County Police Department)

Just before 2 a.m. on Sept. 14, engines roared in a Landover, Maryland, shopping center parking lot as a crowd gathered to watch souped-up cars spin in tight circles under the glow of streetlights. Then one car lost control.

Police say the white Infiniti sedan careened into a woman standing nearby, throwing her against another car. Police documents describe a violent impact that left her with life-threatening injuries: multiple fractures, lung trauma and a br