SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – A sideshow on Sunday night stopped traffic on the Bay Bridge, according to California Highway Patrol (CHP). Just before 2 a.m., CHP officers were breaking up a group of sideshow attendees on the west side of the bridge, near the toll plaza.
While officers responded to that call, CHP received more calls about a new incident in the eastbound lanes. Authorities spotted the sideshows and saw more than 150 vehicles involved.
Cars and pedestrians blocked all eastbound lanes just east of Treasure Island, CHP said. Traffic was blocked for about 30 minutes. Around 2:21 a.m., the crowd of sideshow participants began to disperse.
‘Once-in-a-lifetime experience’: SF Giants looks back on emotional week after death of Willie Mays, Rickwood Field game
Sideshow participants also fired illegal fireworks into the air (see video above). CHP officers were unable to quickly respond to the scene because they were blocked by traffic on the Bay Bridge, authorities said.
McDonald’s in Stonestown is closing after more than 30 years in San Francisco
CHP makes arrests
After the crowd began to disperse, CHP conducted enforcement stops as cars traveled eastbound over the bridge. One vehicle stop resulted in a CHP chase that ended up in the Oakland area. The occupants of the suspect car were arrested after spike strips brought the car to a stop.
Later, a suspicious car was involved in a collision. The suspect was arrested at a gas station in Oakland, according to CHP. It turned out that the car was stolen and that another vehicle had stolen license plates.
“The CHP takes these types of reckless and illegal driving exhibits seriously,” wrote CHP Public Information Officer Mark Andrews. “Additional follow-up investigations will be conducted regarding this incident, and appropriate enforcement action will be taken against any individuals or vehicles identified in this illegal and inappropriate conduct.”
CHP says it is actively investigating this incident. The law enforcement agency is asking any witnesses to send video footage from the scene to the San Francisco Area CHP office.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports and streaming video, visit KRON4.
