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Driver shuts down Phoenix intersection by doing donuts for minutes

It happened on 16th Street and Glendale Avenue, and police have a dedicated task force to crack down on street racing.

PHOENIX — It's a street takeover and burnout that was caught on camera last Saturday. 

The video shows a driver doing donuts for several minutes and a crowd gathers to watch in the middle of the street. It happened at the intersection of 16th Street and Glendale.

This isn't an isolated incident, according to police. 

"I live at 24th Street and Lincoln Drive, and I hear it in the middle of the night. Just very loud engines," one woman said.

"These cars are very heavy and they can kill very easily, so it’s a little bit silly to do stuff like that," said another person.

RELATED: Teens arrested in Glendale street racing incident

EN ESPAÑOL: Conductor cierra una intersección en Phoenix al dar vueltas por minutos

Illegal street racing and intersection takeovers have been major problems across the Valley for years.

Phoenix police said the Street Racing Task Force launched more than a year ago is seeing results. 

Phoenix police report 90% of their task force efforts go toward side-by-side street racing and less than 5% for intersection takeovers like the one on 16th and Glendale.

RELATED: 'Are they willing to face the consequences?' Valley police hope new law will help reduce street racing

In 2020, they received 6,200 calls for service, but in 2021, that number dropped to about 4,500.   

Police issued 2,000 citations in 2020, compared to more than 600 last year, and filed 5,200 charges in 2020, with just more than 1,200 in 2021.  

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