Four men last week were charged with reckless endangerment and other charges for allegedly drifting—a style of driving that combines high-speeds and sideways skidding—in a parking lot of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, where spectators had gathered to watch, according to Queens District Attorney Richard Brown and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton.
Kareem Ali, 26, and Michael Mahabir, 27, both of Richmond Hill; Joel Santiago, 36, of Maspeth; and Darren Tang, 24, of Manhattan were arraigned in October on criminal complaints charging them with second-degree reckless endangerment, reckless driving, speed contests and races and failure to comply with directions. Additionally, Ali was also charged with unlawful possession of marijuana.
According to the complaints, the defendants were all driving modified vehicles when they were allegedly observed drifting and making circles on the pavement with tire skid marks. The drivers allegedly nearly caused the vehicles to strike other vehicles and stationary objects in the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park’s Meadow Lake parking lot. All the vehicles have been impounded.
Brown noted that the city 311 system received 66 calls from area residents complaining about excessive noise prior to the arrests. In the more than five weeks since the arrests, there has not been a single noise complaint phone call from the neighborhood.
