After donut-spinning drivers shut down intersections in the Loop and Near South Side for “sideshows” early Saturday, the Chicago Police Department gave the participants a stern talking-to on Twitter.
“Illegal drag racing & drifting is dangerous to drivers & spectators,” the department warned. “Now it can also be very expensive. Chicago recently passed an ordinance that carries a new amendment, meaning that if you get away, it doesn’t mean you got away & your vehicle could be impounded at a later date.”
So, of course, the sideshows tripled in size and became even more destructive on Sunday.
Sideshows closed intersections from the West Loop to near Chinatown to near Midway Airport and beyond. Participants jumped on squad cars, threw rocks and other objects at cops, and, not surprisingly, many obstructed their license plates, making the city’s threat of delayed enforcement moot.
A CPD spokesperson said six squad cars were damaged, and an 18-year-old was cited for obstruction of a rear license plate. His vehicle was also impounded. Police are also investigating possible connections between the sideshows and a fatal crash on the 6400 block of South Cicero.
Some incidents were shared on social media, a few of which are linked below. The videos showed one arrest being made but far more damage being done.
In the West Loop, cars shut down the intersection of Morgan and Green around 1 a.m., Sunday:
Police also found cars blocking Madison and Morgan a little while later. That’s where cops impounded an 18-year-old’s car and cited him for license plate obstruction, according to CPD. The plate “unveiling” was also captured on video:
At around 3 a.m., CPD responded to calls of an officer in distress in the 600 block of West Cermak after a group of sideshow participants threw rocks, fireworks, and bricks at patrol cars, the police spokesperson said. Six squads were damaged, but police did not announce any arrests.
Sideshow fans vs. CPD squad car. #chicagoscanner #sideshow pic.twitter.com/l5r1PrpxXz
— CHICAGO CRITTER (@ChicagoCritter) August 28, 2022
Other large contingents popped up at 47th Street and Cicero and 18th and Blue Island. One video shows a sizable police contingent moving in on the Cicero Avenue sideshow.
CPD actually came through deep at some point during the night. pic.twitter.com/dKXK8tl1Ya
— CHICAGO CRITTER (@ChicagoCritter) August 28, 2022
Earlier in the morning, around 1:37 a.m., a 40-year-old woman was killed with she was struck by a car when three vehicles collided near her in the 6400 block of South Cicero, police said.
The woman was in the crosswalk when three cars speeding south on Cicero collided after one of the drivers changed lanes, according to CPD. Police cited a 27-year-old man for obstructed windshield and failure to yield to a pedestrian in the roadway. The Major Accidents Investigation Unit is looking into the crash.
Ald. Ray Lopez (15th) said, “a half dozen locations throughout Chicago were overtaken by this vehicular madness” during Sunday morning’s antics. Lopez, who is running for mayor, says he has a plan to stop sideshows. He would call in reinforcements from county, state, and federal agencies.
“And most importantly, a real Mayor of Chicago would go on TV & call these criminals out, share their pictures and license plates, and call on communities to come forward & identify their children,” Lopez tweeted last month.
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