--- title: "Kentucky State Rep Plans Bill to Crush Street Racers’ Cars: ‘I Want You to Watch’" date: "2024-11-01" modified: "2024-11-01" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/kentucky-state-rep-plans-bill-to-crush-street-racers-cars-i-want-you-to-watch" categories: - "Culture" - "News" --- # Kentucky State Rep Plans Bill to Crush Street Racers’ Cars: ‘I Want You to Watch’ ![Street racing takeover in Louisville, Kentucky.]() *\WHAS11 via YouTube\* Street takeovers are a problem wherever they are. They endanger the public and block off traffic for extended periods. In Louisville, Kentucky if you're caught [street racing]() or blocking a road during a takeover, your car can be impounded for six months and you'll face all the tickets and fines that come with it. However, Republican Kentucky state representative Jason Nemes wants the penalty to be far more extreme: He wants to crush your car. "I want to crush it, I want you to watch it, and I want everyone else to see it so they'll stop putting our people in danger," Nemes said, according to *[WHAS11]()*. He isn't just thinking about it either—he claims he's drafting a bill that would mandate it. Nemes' desire to crush street racers' cars also has bipartisan mayoral support from Louisville's Democratic mayor, Craig Greenberg. "I strongly support legislation that when we seize vehicles that are partaking in this extremely dangerous behavior, that those cars get crushed," Greenberg said. [Street takeovers]() are dangerous, and the penalties for taking part in one should be severe. However, crushing the racers' cars seems wasteful, for both the vehicle itself and taxpayer dollars. Especially since the satisfaction of rubbing racers' noses in their crimes seems to be as or more attractive to legislators than stopping the activity itself. "We could do a press conference and pull out all of those cars out here and get like a steamroller and roll over a Corvette or something, that would be pretty neat," said Louisville Metro Police Chief Paul Humphrey. So, like a public automotive execution? Will the racer be locked in a pillory while all this is happening? Also, a steamroller isn't going to simply roll over a car; Humphrey would probably be better off with a monster truck. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2tZZXGP6Eo This all seems a bit dramatic, a boisterous show of power. Of course, street takeovers must be stopped and their participants have to face legal penalties, but there are better options. While I'm not trying to advocate for property seizure, if the police are willing to seize the cars for crushing, why not auction them off instead? That way, the cars aren't wasted and the city of Louisville can get some extra money. Nemes knows it, too. People have reportedly discussed selling the cars for charity with him, and that [appears to be the outcome local enthusiasts would prefer](). "That might make more financial sense," Nemes said. "But most people who do this really love their car. They put money into it, they put a lot of love on it. And so, they don't want to lose it. They don't want it to be crushed." Nemes doesn't want to just punish street racers—he wants to twist the knife. Kentucky lawmakers might point to cities like Ontario, California, *WHAS11* cites, where police were crushing street racers' cars and subsequently saw a significant decrease in the activity. However, a spokesperson for the Ontario police department told the station that cars were only destroyed if they contained stolen parts. Removing those parts but releasing the vehicle only perpetuated the theft cycle, according to Ontario police. In such cases, the department would request the court to repossess the car and have it crushed. That gave Ontario police a reputation for crushing cars, and racing did drastically decrease, but the department reportedly hasn't done it in several years. Meanwhile in Kentucky, while no legislation has been officially introduced yet and no bill can be passed until January, the crushing of vehicles associated with street racing seems to have all the support it needs. *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()