The Hickory Hill crash, which killed three and injured five, has highlighted the issue of reckless driving in Memphis.
Antione Hampton, a 22-year-old driver, was one of those killed in the wreck. According to police reports, Hampton caused the accident by driving aggressively, carelessly, and erratically. A video posted on Facebook shows Hampton an hour and a half before the accident.
WREG reported on Memphis Police’s reckless driving crackdowns, including a large campaign and arrests over Memorial Day weekend.
“All of a sudden, cops appear from various directions. They are flashing their sirens and everything like that and people just bug out,” one Memphis citizen said.
“They have confiscated vehicles,” said Mayor Paul Young. “They are making sure they are capturing those that are committing those acts, creating the chaos and wreaking havoc in our community.”
Now many are asking what else can be done to stop it. Bennie Cobb, a retired Captain of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office thinks tougher, certain, severe, and swift consequences are needed.
“But there’s gonna have to be an immediate some kind of harsh punishment that sets the example from law enforcement for these violators, for the ones that are operating these missiles on Public Street,” said Cobb. “There’s gonna have to be some kind of urgency put to this where we’re calling in big guns.”
He says police need to use helicopters and drones to locate where these things are happening, and make it public what happens to offenders. Police are also looking for witnesses from the horrific collision and those involved in reckless driving.
About The Author
