Driver doing donuts overturns SUV, crushing passengers hanging out of vehicle's windows

A motorist doing donuts in front of a Colorado Springs strip mall Saturday night overturned the SUV, crushing passengers who were hanging outside of the vehicle's windows, KKTV-TV reported.

What are the details?

The accident occurred at the corner of South Circle and Monterey in the southeastern part of the city, the station said.

Video circulating on social media shows a crowd watching the SUV's driver circle the strip mall's parking lot while about five passengers appear to hang outside the vehicle's windows and sunroof.

Suddenly, the SUV is amid a hard reverse turn when it pitches sideways on just its passenger-side tires before tipping completely over and rolling before coming to rest on its driver-side.

“The vehicle rolled over and onto the individuals who were hanging out the windows,” police said, according to KKTV.

Bystanders are seen rushing to the vehicle and trying to help injured passengers.

Police got a 911 call just after 10:15 p.m., the station said, adding that they found five people at the scene with life-threatening injuries. All were transported to a hospital, KKTV said, adding that officials had not updated their conditions as of Monday morning.

Authorities added to the station that they believe the crowd met at the strip mall specifically to perform donuts in the parking lot.

The alleged SUV driver, who wasn't seriously injured, was arrested for reckless driving, KTTV said, adding that police identified her as Marisol Wentling. She remained in jail as of Sunday afternoon, but records Monday morning indicate she has bonded out, the station said.

Police added to KTTV that the incident remains under investigation and they are asking anyone with information to call police at 719-444-7000; anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers at 719-634-STOP.

Horrific video captures moment SUV performing dangerous stunt flips over, crushing five peopleyoutu.be

Anything else?

Motorists performing donuts amid illegal "street takeovers" have been in the news since 2022 and have seemingly ramped up in frequency since then. Lawless drivers stop traffic at intersections while crowds stand on sidewalks and gawk at them skidding in circles — all of it planned in advance. The following are reports on some of them from just this year alone:

• After an August street takeover in Atlanta, during which a driver hit onlookers while trying to elude a cop, the suspect's brother said, "He's a good kid. He messed up. Everybody has a mess-up."
• In July, a mob of about 500 took over a Philadelphia intersection, watching and recording video of cars doing donuts. But after police moved in to disperse the crowd, a vehicle hit an officer, and the driver fled the scene.
• In early June, an 18-year-old male was shot dead by Pennsylvania State Police officers who said he hit two troopers with his car amid illegal street racing on Interstate 95 in Philadelphia.
• In late June, a driver doing donuts in a Los Angeles-area intersection was caught on video repeatedly ramming the vehicle of a sheriff's deputy, who fired a single shot in response. But when the driver rammed him yet again, the deputy was all done playing and fired multiple shots at the vehicle.
• In May, a thug wearing a "Love Never Fails" hoodie was caught on video kicking a woman's car amid a violent street takeover in Connecticut.
• In April, a man was brutally beaten in an attack recorded on video after he confronted a carload of masked thugs for their dangerous intersection takeover in Oakland, California.

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