Rep. Juandalynn Givan reacts to New Year’s Day exhibition driving incident

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - WBRC has obtained video of a dangerous driving incident that police said happened New Year’s Day on 3rd Avenue North in Birmingham.

It’s just the latest example of a problem police say they’re seeing more often—exhibition driving.

There are several videos circulating on social media right now of the exhibition driving incident that happened over the weekend.

Not only can you see the chaos, but also how officers responded.

And Rep. Juandalynn Givan had some choice words for those involved.

“Until we start shaming these stupid people for doing this stupid stuff, and being stupid ignorant criminals, that they are, nothing’s going to happen.”

A passionate Rep. Juandalynn Givan Tuesday says she’s tired of the senseless and negligent behavior plaguing the city of Birmingham.

“There’s a reckless and wanton endangerment for the life of another. This is attempted murder. This is what this is,” Givan said.

You can hear engines revving loudly and tires squealing.

The video shows people lining the streets, armed with cellphones to capture drivers burning out, doing donuts, and making sharp and abrupt turns in the streets.

Police responding to the chaos.

One video shows a police cruiser ramming one of the exhibition cars and hitting a pedestrian who was getting video in the street.

“And then when it’s a frantic situation like that, you’re trying to stop the drag racing, you’re trying to enforce the laws, things happen. But again, if the situation was not as such, that those thugs weren’t doing what they were doing, then that never would have happened,” Givan explained.

Right now, there is no law in Alabama specifically targeting exhibition driving.

But Rep. Givan said she’s teaming up with Republican representative, Allen Treadaway, drafting a bill to change that this session.

WBRC reached out to the mayor’s office, city council members, and Birmingham Police for comment, but no one was available for an interview Tuesday.

In a statement, Birmingham Police said they’re reviewing the actions of the officers involved in this incident.

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