Philadelphia Police Push To Get Reckless, Daredevil Bikers Off Streets After Video Shows Men Playing Chicken With Oncoming Traffic
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Daredevil bikers have posted videos of them playing chicken with oncoming traffic along Broad Street. Their antics are frustrating and scaring drivers.
Now, there's a big push to get them off the streets before they suffer catastrophic consequences.
CBS3 was on scene and called 911 when a biker went crashing into a building at Broad and Sansom Streets on Sunday.
Eyewitnesses say the man was popping wheelies on his motorcycle down Broad Street before he crashed into a black SUV, sending the rider careening toward the wall.
As the weather gets better, police say the number of cycles, bikes and ATVs on Philly streets increases, along with risky ways of driving them.
"They're illegal to operate on the streets of Philadelphia. Even though they're registered and all that, they're illegal to operate," Philadelphia Police Staff Inspector Sekou Kinebrew said.
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Kinebrew says police seized 63 bikes and ATVs in a coordinated effort this weekend. Three people were arrested and 60 violations of city ordinances were written for operating them illegally.
"This is an everyday issue that we're tackling. We don't just wait until there's time to do a mission. We're not just waiting to take them but we also want to educate," Kinebrew said.
As that bike crossed traffic and jumped the curb, there were several people walking on the sidewalk that could have been hurt or killed.
That's another thing Kinebrew wants to get across -- riding this way may not only hurt you but others, as well.
A video seen 2.8 million times on Twitter shows three young men on Broad Street basically playing chicken with oncoming traffic on bicycles.
It's not on a motorized ride but police want everyone to understand how dangerous this is and are hoping you listen.
"I know a lot of young folks think they're invulnerable, but they're not. What they think may be fun, weaving in and out of traffic, the consequences could be catastrophic," Kinebrew said.
