Five illegal car rallies were dismantled by the Maryland Car Rally Task Force over the weekend. 

The group, along with other county police departments, conducted coordinated enforcement operations on the night of Sunday, June 1. They targeted public roads, industrial zones and parking lots throughout Prince George's County.

Through high visibility enforcement and patrols, police prevented crowds of up to 400 people from shutting down roadways and engaging in exhibition driving events.

Where did the car rallies take place?

The task force responded to five locations across Prince George's County:

• 4600 Hargrove Drive in Lanham
• 15887 Commerce Court in Upper Marlboro
• 9172 Hampton Drive in Capital Heights
• 12018 Indian Creek Court in Beltsville
• 812 Oregon Avenue in Linthicum Heights

Cracking down on exhibition driving 

In May, Maryland State Police dismantled three car rallies in Prince George's County. They also arrested a man who they said stole a car connected to a Baltimore County car dealership.

In February, five people between the ages of 19 and 22 were arrested in another street racing takedown, where police said they stopped seven events.

WJZ obtained video showing a large car rally blocking the intersection of Auchentoroly and Gwynns Falls in Northwest Baltimore.

The broader crackdown on car rallies came in June 2024, after made exhibition driving and street races illegal in Maryland.

The law defines exhibition driving as operating a vehicle close to a crowd and intentionally skidding, swerving while accelerating or causing the wheels to lose contact with the ground, among other actions. 

In December 2024, authorities arrested five people, four of them minors, after a task force disrupted 10 illegal car gatherings over a single weekend.