Car rally coming to Ocean City in defiance of mayor, police
Car enthusiasts event returning to Ocean City despite officials asking them to stay away
Hundreds if not thousands of car enthusiasts are heading to Ocean City this weekend – even though the mayor and police chief said they don’t want them to come. It’s because of an unauthorized pop-up car rally commonly referred to as H20i.
OCEAN CITY, Md. - Hundreds if not thousands of car enthusiasts are heading to Ocean City this weekend – even though the mayor and police chief said they don’t want them to come. It’s because of an unauthorized pop-up car rally commonly referred to as H20i.
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“Speeding, reckless driving, spinning of tires, demonstration driving,” said Mayor Rick Meehan, reeling off problems they’ve seen in the past.
He added that there were about 1400 citations given out during the event last year in addition to more than 100 arrests, so this year, the city is cracking down.
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They’ve lowered speed limits, raised fines, and because of a new law, they’ll even be impounding cars, and in some cases, arresting drivers.
“That’s the last thing we want to do,” Meehan said, “but that’s what we are going to do in order to maintain law and order.”
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Still, some are willing to risk it.
“We all come together. Nobody looks at color, nobody looks at anything.
Everybody just is here for the love of their car,” Donovan Chase said while stopped at a gas station on his way to Ocean City.
Asked for his response to the mayor, he added, “well if you look at my exhaust pipes, I’m taking a risk getting impounded myself.
To me it’s like if we listen to them, nothing would ever get done.”
Chase’s friend, Ali Manley, added, “this is just something we have and they’re trying to take it away from us.
This is literally the last thing we have going for us so, I think we’re going to be here for a long time and they’re not stopping us.”
A large contingency of law enforcement officials will be waiting for the friends in Ocean City.
Chief Ross Buzzuro said hundreds of officers are on duty all weekend long.