Two people were arrested and 22 others were cited Sunday in Portland while police conducted a street racing mission targeting people who gather and participate in dangerous driving behavior.
Raymond Grant, 34, was arrested after fleeing an area where at least one car was driving recklessly, according to a press release from the Portland Police Bureau. Another person was arrested on an outstanding reckless driving warrant, but police did not release the person’s name.
Grant was charged with attempting to elude a police officer, recklessly endangering another person and reckless driving.
During the operation, police learned of a vehicle near Swan Island that crashed into a parked car and nearly hit several pedestrians, according to the release.
Street racers had gathered in a private parking lot to do stunts when the crash occurred, according to court documents. When officers arrived, people started to flee.
Video of the incident released by police shows a car driving in circles and creating smoke while drifting close to several parked cars. According to the release, the driver of the vehicle fled the area and police weren’t able to apprehend the driver.
Grant fled the area in another vehicle. Police found and arrested him. Court documents show Grant is a Portland resident who did not have a valid driver’s license. He has been previously convicted of five felonies including robbery and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He has also been previously convicted of reckless driving, a misdemeanor.
Street racing continues to be a problem in the Portland metro area. Friday, a man was arrested and charged with manslaughter after two drivers allegedly raced their cars down Southwest Farmington Road in Aloha, crashing into a third car and killing the passenger.
In May, three men were arrested in relation to street racing on Interstate 84.
In 2018, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported extensively on Portland’s underground street racing scene. The races occasionally draw up to 1,000 spectators and the racing participants have been known to attempt to block freeways and urban arterials like Marine Drive for their races.
At least four people have died in street-racing related crashes in the past four years.
-- Peter Talbot
ptalbot@oregonian.com
503-221-5772; @petejtalbot
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