ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Deputies announced Monday they are searching for drivers who “recklessly” circled an Orange County fire truck responding to an emergency during a street race over the weekend.
Orange County Fire Rescue told News 6 that crews responded to a reported car fire at 1:02 a.m. on Saturday. Upon arrival, crews said they found large crowds and vehicles involved in street racing at the intersection of Sand Lake Road and Winegard Road.
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OCFR officials added that no car fire was found, but the fire truck was prevented from leaving the area after a vehicle began “driving recklessly” around it.
Video of the incident on social media shows what appears to be a white sedan with two people hanging out of the windows as the car circles the fire truck, keeping crews from leaving the area.
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The Orange County Sheriff’s Office told News 6 that the department is aware of the video, and investigators searching for drivers present during the incident.
“Reckless driving and street racing is dangerous and illegal,” deputies said. “We know that this type of activity leads to serious injury and sometimes death to participants and other bystanders. These groups are not unique to Central Florida, it’s a nationwide problem.”
According to OCSO, deputies responded to the scene afterward, but upon arrival, the drivers fled from the area. Once the drivers cleared out, the fire truck was able to leave the area, OCFR said.
Deputies said that because these drivers are mobile, the issue becomes much more difficult to resolve.
“From a law enforcement perspective, this type of activity is challenging to address,” deputies said. “Since these drivers are mobile, they often flee when law enforcement arrives, and that makes the streets even more dangerous for other drivers.”
The sheriff’s office said that it believes detectives will be able to find and arrest some of the participants.
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