Portlandpolice say they stopped an organized street takeover on Friday evening using some quick driving reflexes.
Officers from the city's Traffic Division and Air Support Unit, in addition to the regular north precinct of the city, responded around 7.50pm Friday to a number of vehicles making a scene in a local parking lot.
Carter John Morse, 23, was arrested after being spotted doing 'drifting' stunts in a 2010 Cadillac CTS on Swan Island, a little outside downtown Portland.
Drifting is when a driver intentionally oversteers such that the car's tires lose their grip on the road during a tight turn. It is largely an incredibly unsafe maneuver to pull.
Dramatic video captured the moment police arrived on scene and drivers fled, including Morse, who police chased and were able to stop with a dangerous move of their own.
Incredible overhead footage of a pursuit Friday evening in Portland saw police cut off a street racer before arresting him and seizing his car
When officers first showed up on the scene of the drifting, they attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver did not hit the brakes.
Instead, amazing overhead footage shows Morse instead sped right into oncoming traffic lanes and run a red light.
Police then pursued the suspect in an exciting chase captured on camera by a law enforcement chopper with an overhead view.
Eventually, a police sergeant was able to execute a PIT maneuver and successfully bring the Cadillac to a halt.
A precision immobilization technique (PIT) or tactical vehicle intervention is a law enforcement chase tactic, in which a law enforcement vehicle forces another vehicle to suddenly turn sideways, causing the driver to lose control and come to a stop.
Morse, a resident of Vancouver, Washington, was arrested and taken to the Multnomah County jail on charged of attempting to elude police by vehicle, as well as reckless driving, and unlawful street takeover, according to local outlet KATU2.
In addition to Morse's arrest, officers say at least a dozen vehicles were towed.
Police were ultimately able to cut off the street racer and bring the pursuit to a halt at an intersection on Swan Island
The Governor of Oregon, Democrat Tina Kotek, signed a bill last year that imposes harsher penalties on street racers
The Governor of Oregon, Democrat Tina Kotek, signed a bill last year that imposes harsher penalties on street racers.
Potential punishments include a jail sentence of up to a year and/or a $6,250 fine,
Should an individual be convicted of the same crime within five years, the charge is upgraded to a Class C felony, which comes with a maximum of five years in jail and/or a fine of up to $125,000.
The bill also allows for those who participate in street takeovers to permanently lose their vehicles.
Portland police are in the process of attempting to permanently seize Morse's car.
Hundreds of people gathered for an illegal car meetup at in Springfield, Virginia, on March 31
In March, a pickup truck plowed into a crowd during a street takeover in South Los Angeles
Street takeovers are growing across the country with police dealing with the gatherings that often feature dozens of cars and spectators. Many times, drivers will perform dangerous stunts during the gatherings.
Earlier this month,Virginia police released startling dashcam footage of a street takeover that injured one officer and damaged a cruiser, as authorities continue to identify suspects from the attack.
Hundreds of people gathered for an illegal car meetup at a parking lot in the 6600 block of Electronic Drive in Springfield on March 31.
A Fairfax County police officer arrived on the scene and was met with an armed mob that swarmed her car.
Dashcam footage obtained by Fox News showed at least one person attempted to remove the license plate from the vehicle while others jumped on her cruiser and banged on the windows. Other footage showed a man hanging out of a car while holding a rifle.
'They've all got masks on. They're beating on my cruiser,' one officer said while calling for back up.
In March, apickup truck plowed into a crowd during an unruly 'street takeover' event in South Los Angeles, triggering a swarm of spectators to run toward the crash and film it.
The wreck happened at the intersection of Normandie Avenue and West Gage Avenue Friday night and was filmed live on the streaming platform Kick.
Footage shows a silver pickup truck doing donuts around a steel barrel with a fire burning in it. The driver appears to lose control of the vehicle and steers into a crowd that has gathered nearby.
Other onlookers exclaim and hurry towards the crash site with their cellphones raised. A group of young men climb on top of the truck before members of the crowd shout that the driver appears to be backing up.
