Fires, burnouts, & donuts: Davidson County grocery store parking lot becomes stage for 'burning tires'

DAVIDSON COUNTY PEOPLE ARE SHARING CONCERNS ABOUT AN INCIDENT LAST NIGHT AT A FOOD LINE PARKING LOT. NOW, WE JUST RECEIVED VIDEO CAPTURING DRIVERS DOING DONUTS AS PEOPLE WATCHED. JOSHUA DAVIS JOINS US FROM DAVIDSON COUNTY, WHERE HE’S BEEN FOLLOWING THIS STORY. YOU KNOW, THE VIDEO WE HAVE IS STRIKING SHOWING THE CROWD GATHERED TOGETHER IN THIS PARKING LOT BEHIND ME, CHEERING ON THE DRIVERS WITH SMOKE IN THE AIR AND THE ASPHALT ON FIRE. THIS VIDEO, WHICH WAS TAKEN SATURDAY NIGHT, SHOWS A CROWD GATHERED TOGETHER IN A FOOD LION PARKING LOT ON N.C. 109 TO WATCH DRIVERS DO BURNOUTS AND DONUTS. MAYOR OAKES TOOK THIS VIDEO AS SHE WAS DRIVING PAST THE STORE WITH HER HUSBAND. SHE SAYS SHE SAW KIDS RANGING FROM PRE-TEEN TO HIGH SCHOOL AGE AND SAYS SHE WAS APPALLED BY WHAT SHE SAW. THE YOUNG MAN WAS SITTING ON THE WINDOWSILL AS THE CAR WAS JUST GOING, AND THAT CAR SPUN OUT TWICE AD INTO THE CROWD AND THEY JUST RAN. SO IT’S A RECIPE FOR SOMETHING REALLY BAD TO HAPPEN, SHE SAYS SOON AFTER SHE GOT THERE, DAVIDSON COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES AND HIGHWAY PATROL ARRIVED TO BREAK UP THE EVENT AND SHE WATCHED AS PEOPLE BEGAN TO RUN FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT. OKE SAYS SHE’S NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE AND SHE DOESN’T WANT TO SEE ANYTHING LIKE IT AGAIN. IT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED THROUGH PARENT TEACHING. WE HAVE A LOT OF YOUNG PARENTS THROUGH PARENT TEACHING OR JUST SOME KIND OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT WITH THE CHILDREN TO GIVE THEM CONSTRUCTIVE THINGS TO DO. IT WAS REALLY ALARMING, ESPECIALLY FOR THIS COMMUNITY, BECAUSE WE’RE A QUIET COMMUNITY. WE DON’T HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THIS HERE. MICHELLE ELLENBERGER SAYS SHE WAS SITTING IN HER KITCHEN SATURDAY NIGHT WHEN SHE HEARD A HELICOPTER FLY OVER HER HOME. SHE LEARNED ON FACEBOOK WHAT WAS GOING ON AND SAW VIDEOS OF THE BURNOUTS HAPPENING LESS THAN A MILE FROM WHERE SHE LIVES. ELLENBERGER SAYS BETWEEN SIRENS AND THE SOUND OF TIRES SCREECHING, THE COMMOTION KEPT HER UP UNTIL 4:00 IN THE MORNING. SHE AGREES WITH OAKES THAT SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE AND THAT IT NEEDS TO START AT HOME. PARENTS NEED TO GET MORE INVOLVED, KNOW WHERE THEIR KIDS ARE, HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEIR KIDS FROM THE EARLIEST STAGE OF HOW TO BE RESPONSIBLE, TO THINK OF OTHER PEOPLE, TO CONSIDER WHAT THEIR ACTIONS CAN DO TO OTHERS. AND IT’S JUST THE GRACE OF GOD. SOMEBODY DIDN’T GET HURT LAST NIGHT. I’VE REACHED OUT TO THE DAVIDSON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE TO CONFIRM IF THEY’RE CONDUCTING AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS GATHERING, BUT I HAVEN’T HEARD BACK YET. AND DAVIDSON COUNTY, I’M JOSHUA DAVI

You couldn't miss the smell of burning rubber Saturday night at a parking lot in Davidson County.Dozens, if not hundreds, of people were at the Food Lion parking lot off Highway 109, near Gumtree Road, in Wallburg. In a viewer video, submitted to WXII 12 News, fires were seen in the parking lot while multiple cars were doing donuts as people stood nearby recording.The Davidson County Sheriff's Office hasn't confirmed if they're investigating any crimes or complaints about the gathering, but Michelle Lonaberger said they responded quickly Saturday night.Click video below to watch neighbors' reactions."They got there quickly. There was a group down Gumtree Road in Midway and they evidentially left there and went to Wallburg," said Lonaberger in a comment on social media. "I am so very thankful for the Davidson County Sheriff Deputies and the NC State Highway Patrol officers who worked very hard to apprehend and disburse these hooligans destroying private property, risking others’ lives and limbs, putting law-abiding citizens in danger, and destroying the peace of a community we in Wallburg are proud to live in."Lonaberger, who lives nearby the Food Lion, says this isn't the first time."I live just down the road where this garbage happened and I am sick of it. I live half a mile away and I could hear every bit of it inside my house; it was so bad," she said. "It’s been an ongoing issue with cars racing and doing burnouts. I am just thankful that nobody got hurt, as far as I know of." Some are in support of the activity.Top StoriesWinston-Salem police: 1 man shot overnightHigh school activity bus carrying coaches, football players involved in crash on NC Highway 55Winston Tower awaiting for new signage of Truliant Federal Credit Union as old sign comes downGet the latest news stories of interest by clicking here"Doing burnouts in cars is way better than being out here shooting and robbing," one person wrote. "Don’t get me wrong. Messing up property, I don’t condone that, but let us have something fun to (do) where we can occupy our time -- instead of kids shooting, killing, or doing drugs."Another said, "Then find somewhere for these kids to hang out. They are not breaking the law; they are not shooting people; they are not rioting. They are kids trying to have fun."This very same issue was a problem at a Winston-Salem parking lot in early June. Charges weren't filed after complaints.Others who commented on the same post, showing the stunts Saturday night, said they've seen similar groups elsewhere."(It) happened in the parking lot where Family Dollar is in Rural Hall last weekend," one person wrote. Another said they saw about dozens of cars in one group traveling on the interstate."This group was about 25 cars long. They came off the exit ramp on S. Main St. in Winston-Salem and none of them stopped at the stop sign. (I) thought I was gonna get hit!," she wrote. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.Watch: NOWCAST streaming newscastsNAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Watch NOWCAST TV | Local News | National | News We Love

WALLBURG, N.C. —

You couldn't miss the smell of burning rubber Saturday night at a parking lot in Davidson County.

Dozens, if not hundreds, of people were at the Food Lion parking lot off Highway 109, near Gumtree Road, in Wallburg.

In a viewer video, submitted to WXII 12 News, fires were seen in the parking lot while multiple cars were doing donuts as people stood nearby recording.

The Davidson County Sheriff's Office hasn't confirmed if they're investigating any crimes or complaints about the gathering, but Michelle Lonaberger said they responded quickly Saturday night.

Click video below to watch neighbors' reactions.

"They got there quickly. There was a group down Gumtree Road in Midway and they evidentially left there and went to Wallburg," said Lonaberger in a comment on social media. "I am so very thankful for the Davidson County Sheriff Deputies and the NC State Highway Patrol officers who worked very hard to apprehend and disburse these hooligans destroying private property, risking others’ lives and limbs, putting law-abiding citizens in danger, and destroying the peace of a community we in Wallburg are proud to live in."

Lonaberger, who lives nearby the Food Lion, says this isn't the first time.

"I live just down the road where this garbage happened and I am sick of it. I live half a mile away and I could hear every bit of it inside my house; it was so bad," she said. "It’s been an ongoing issue with cars racing and doing burnouts. I am just thankful that nobody got hurt, as far as I know of."

Some are in support of the activity.

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"Doing burnouts in cars is way better than being out here shooting and robbing," one person wrote. "Don’t get me wrong. Messing up property, I don’t condone that, but let us have something fun to (do) where we can occupy our time -- instead of kids shooting, killing, or doing drugs."

Another said, "Then find somewhere for these kids to hang out. They are not breaking the law; they are not shooting people; they are not rioting. They are kids trying to have fun."

This very same issue was a problem at a Winston-Salem parking lot in early June. Charges weren't filed after complaints.

Others who commented on the same post, showing the stunts Saturday night, said they've seen similar groups elsewhere.

"(It) happened in the parking lot where Family Dollar is in Rural Hall last weekend," one person wrote.

Another said they saw about dozens of cars in one group traveling on the interstate.

"This group was about 25 cars long. They came off the exit ramp on S. Main St. in Winston-Salem and none of them stopped at the stop sign. (I) thought I was gonna get hit!," she wrote.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Watch: NOWCAST streaming newscasts

Fires, burnouts, & donuts: Davidson County grocery store parking lot becomes stage for 'burning tires'

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