SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — From the cab of his commercial truck, Michael Nicewander watched car after car line the roads near 1100 South and 4800 West.
“This is an absolute mess,” he said in a video he recorded Saturday night. “It happens every Saturday.”
Nicewander estimated about 300 cars packed the industrial area that night.
Drivers and spectators filled both sides of the road, he said, making it difficult for his truck to get through.
Nicewander has worked in the area for years. He said street racing isn't new, but the crowds have grown — and Saturday was the worst he's seen.
He said he's encountered people standing in the roadway who refuse to move.
“I’m blocked. I have to hit my horn,” he said. “They will not let me travel going down 4800 West.”
Burnout circles and long black streaks now cover portions of the pavement.
Nicewander said the gatherings don't stay in one place. They move between Salt Lake City and West Valley City, sometimes spilling into nearby gas stations and parking lots.
He said he's called 911 more than 20 times. Officers respond and clear the roads, but the crowds often return.
“I would say within an hour, maybe a couple of hours,” he said.
Salt Lake City police spokesperson Greg Wilking said officers have been dealing with street racing in the area for years.
“This has been going on 20 years that I’ve been a police officer,” Wilking said. “It’s been fairly consistent. Sometimes they’re very brazen. They know that they outnumber us.”
The danger has turned deadly before.
In April 2021, 25-year-old Dakota Enman was killed when a car involved in a street race struck his vehicle near 900 South and 3000 West.
Utah lawmakers strengthened the state's street-racing laws the following year, increasing penalties and expanding when police can seize vehicles involved in racing.
Wilking said manpower has made it difficult to consistently enforce those laws when large crowds gather.
Now, police said they're bringing more resources to the problem.
Through a partnership with the Utah Inland Port Authority, Salt Lake City police plan to assign 12 additional officers to the area.
Wilking said the department is still selecting supervisors and determining where the officers will be stationed.
Police are also considering license plate readers and drones to identify vehicles and people involved in the gatherings.
Wilking said investigators could use that information to pursue enforcement after the crowds disperse, including potentially impounding vehicles later.
Salt Lake City police have already conducted joint operations with West Valley City. Wilking said the department also plans to coordinate with the Utah Department of Public Safety and other agencies.
“With these operations, we’re going to bring more resources to bear,” Wilking said.
Police did not provide an exact date for when the 12 additional officers will begin working in the area.
For Nicewander, the stakes are high.
“Someone’s going to get killed,” he said.
