Illegal ‘sideshow’ on Bay Bridge leads to arrests in front of CHP office with officers waiting

An impromptu weekend “sideshow” involving three high-octane sports cars on the Bay Bridge went sideways for two of the drivers after a witness notified the California Highway Patrol, which was waiting for the cars when they drove into San Francisco, authorities said.

About 3:30 p.m. Sunday two Ford Mustangs, one white and one black, and a Chevy Camaro blocked traffic on the westbound side of the Bay Bridge west of Yerba Buena Island before the black Mustang drove ahead and then began doing “doughnuts” on the middle of the highway, said CHP officer Vu Williams.

A witness recorded the illegal driving on his phone and posted it on Instagram, authorities said.

Another driver, unable to pass the cars, instead called 911 and reported the blockade, Williams said. When the three sports cars stopped the “sideshow” and allowed traffic to flow, the reporting witness got behind the two Mustangs when they tried to blend back into traffic and relayed their positions to waiting CHP officers at the end of the bridge, Williams said.

Though authorities didn’t find the Camaro, they did spot the two Mustangs.

“Actually we stopped them right in front of the CHP office,” Williams said, chuckling.

The driver of the white Mustang was cited for speeding but the driver of the black Mustang seen on video doing “doughnuts” was arrested on suspicion of reckless driving and street racing, Williams said. The driver’s car was also impounded, he said.

San Francisco Area Commander Christopher Sherry provided the following statement:

“A recklessly driven vehicle is a deadly weapon. If one chooses to drive recklessly, they could be jailed, be fatally injured, or take someone’s life; perhaps the life of someone they love. The majority of the motoring public does not think this type of behavior, specifically shutting down freeways and bridges is acceptable.”

This is at least the second time in recent months that an illegal sideshow has stopped traffic on the bridge. In April, up to 50 cars backed up traffic for miles when they did a series of “doughnuts” on the bridge on a Sunday afternoon.

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