Illegal street racing bust leads to nearly 40 arrests in St. Petersburg

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Nearly 40 people were arrested early Sunday morning for charges related to street racing.

St. Petersburg police, along with other agencies, made the bust near the intersection of Roosevelt Boulevard and Martin Luther King, Jr. Street North around 3 a.m.

"I drive that road every week going to work in Tampa and you can’t assure anything on that road. How do you know if someone might be coming out at 3 a.m. to go to CVS, or come to Circle K or go to 7/11, and here you are racing and you’re jeopardizing someone who’s just trying to get milk? That makes no sense. None," said Michele Stewart, who lives close to where the bust happened.

READ: Father charged for son's death during illegal street racing crash in St. Pete

Stewart says she loves driving and there is a safe and legal place for drivers to go who have a need for speed.

"There’s a drag strip right down the road, right off Ulmerton, which is maybe about five or six lights away from here. Granted, it might not be open at 3 a.m., but if you plan it, why not race someplace that’s made for racing, that road is not made for racing," Stewart stated.

READ: Accused street racers were speeding more than 100 miles per hour near the Gandy Bridge, troopers say

Drivers who got arrested also had their vehicles impounded. The owner of an impound lot told Fox 13 that several cars were taken to various lots around Pinellas County.

The cars driven by those arrested were impounded. 

The St. Petersburg Police Department says other agencies helped on this case and plan to release more information sometime Monday.