A Maryland man was charged with reckless driving and driving 90 mph in a 35 mph zone after drivers stopped traffic on the Capital Beltway on Saturday so a driver could make donuts in the middle of the road.
Jonathan C. Iraheta, 20, of Beltsville, was charged with six traffic charges and fined more than $ 1,800, Maryland State Police reported Monday.
A line of cars stopped all traffic in the outer loop of the belt for several minutes on Saturday around 7 p.m., as shown by WTOP-detected traffic camera images.
The driver of a sports car was making donuts over and over again while several people on foot watched and even approached the car. Other drivers spun the rear wheels, sending smoke onto the highway while a long line of drivers waited to begin.
State police received several calls Saturday night reporting “drivers of high-performance vehicles blocking the road and turning wheels,” police said in a statement.
A soldier was immediately sent to the scene and other police agencies were called in to help them, according to police.
While the soldier was responding, Prince George’s County police received a call informing them that the group was on Route 212. The soldier moved to that location and saw that a 2020 orange Dodge Charger “was running recklessly. to Rt in a westerly direction. 212 on I-95 “.
The soldier stopped the driver, Iraheta, and issued appointments for: traveling 90 mph in a published 35 mph area, driving recklessly, driving negligently, driving aggressively, following too close traffic and an unsafe lane change.
The soldier found that a temporary tag on the car “apparently had been modified in an attempt to hide the actual number of tags.” State police seized the vehicle pending the investigation.
Police said they cannot confirm if Iraheta was the driver who was making donuts on his belt; he was charged with crimes on Route 212, not there, a spokesman said.
It was unclear if Iraheta had a lawyer.
Maryland State Police say a crackdown on speeding and reckless driving is underway. Hundreds of citations have been issued. The police department killed dangerous drivers.
“Viously, obviously, driving behavior was seen on Capital Beltway and Rt. 212 yesterday is illegal, dangerous and completely ignores the safety and comfort of others on the road. Maryland State Police will continue to take immediate and strict enforcement action whenever possible when these incidents occur, ”police said.
Stay tuned to NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.