Philadelphia police report progress in illegal drifting investigation

Philadelphia police say they are making progress in the investigation of an illegal drifting event last week. They towed a car from a Delaware County home Friday and arrested a man in Delaware in what looks to be a pushback against last weekend’s wild, car stunt that clogged city streets and led to the police shooting of an 18-year-old.

In Collingdale, Delaware County, a police tow truck pulled a blue SUV away from a Roberta Avenue home. Police want the vehicle because they say it was parked three cars from the front of a wild, illegal "drifting" event last weekend at the Northeast Philly intersection of Bustleton and Philmont, now stamped by rings of tire tracks.

Captain Jason Smith of the police department’s Major Crimes Unit said, "The vehicle was recorded by the officer’s body worn camera as having been parked unoccupied in very close proximity to the drifting event."

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Police say it’s part of their ongoing investigation of the drag racing and stunt shows that blocked intersections across the city last weekend including on I-95 that led to the State Police shooting death of an 18-year-old alleged to have struck two troopers with his car. Police claim the SUV was blocking officers from moving in at Bustleton.

The owner of the car, who asked that we not identify her, says her 18-year-old son was dropping off a friend after roller skating in New Jersey and got stuck in the intersection. Police don’t buy it and say they’ll get a warrant to search the car. The woman told FOX 29’s Jeff Cole her son was not involved in the drifting event. She argued he was not there to watch the event or block police.

In their pushback against the so-called car-meetups, U.S. Marshalls and city police arrested 21-year-old Aki Newman of Delaware this afternoon. He’s alleged to have to punched and stomped a man during that drifting session at Bustleton and Philmont.

Police say they are tracking another car-meetup this weekend and hope their tow truck sent a message. Captain Smith said, "The underlying message is don’t come to Philadelphia to engage in drifting behavior."