Downbeach area residents watching in disbelief. Could something like this happen in Ventnor, Margate, or even next door in Atlantic City?
A ‘pop-up’ car rally in Wildwood this past weekend led to multiple accidents and the death of two people.
Gerald J. White, 37, of Pittsburgh, Pa, allegedly hit another car and two pedestrians with his car.
Pedestrian Lindsay Weakland, 18, of Carlisle, Pa, died at the scene. A car passenger, Timothy Ogden, 34, of Gloucester County, later died of injuries.
NJ Congressman Jeff Van Drew issued the following statement:
Across the country we are watching leaders implement weak-on-crime policies and continually disrespect our police and first responders. When leaders diminish and demean our police officers, this translates to individuals believing this type of behavior is acceptable and will go unpunished.
Those who commit crimes and threaten law-abiding Americans must face severe punishments. Our police officers need to be supported and funded to ensure that Americans are safe and protected.
Ridicule of our police. Seeking to strip police funding. No surprise, crime has skyrocketed.
From Local Business Owner and Resident, Dave Campbell. As seen on North Wildwood Coalition.
On September 23-25, the Wildwoods, Rio Grande and nearby communities had their peace shattered and safety threatened when descended upon by a literal invasion—not the long-welcomed Irish Week celebrants or Car Show attendees but an increasingly infamous group calling itself “H2oi”.
That group’s main claim to fame is being ejected from other locations due to drag racing on busy streets, clouds of intentional smoke, loud engines, and cars rigged to backfire—which any rational person agrees should be illegal due to the disruption of the peace and deliberate mimicking of rapid gunfire, making streets sound like warzones, masking any real gunfire that may occur, and sometimes creating panic.
During this chaotic, unpermitted “event” here, two people reportedly were killed and others injured in crashes. At least one person was stabbed.
Our police were overwhelmed and had to call for backup from miles away. I’ve talked to people who were justifiably afraid to leave homes or businesses. H2oi members offered feeble defenses online, some claiming to have left when things got out of hand. But this group’s basic purpose is to act in anti-social ways, maliciously disturbing the peace, terrorizing and endangering residents and visitors.
While it’s social media-fueled, probably without an organized hierarchy, its origins and instigators should be investigated. The seeming inability or unwillingness to control anarchistic mobs like this points to a larger problem in recent years, namely that decent, productive Americans who work, pay taxes and/or own homes or businesses, however humble, are captive to increasing volumes of requirements and restrictions.
Meanwhile, assorted miscreants, parasites, anarchists, sociopaths and their immature, thrill-seeking followers are effectively given free rein—and too often free money—with practically no behavioral expectations or limitations. Officials had advance notice of this invasion but mostly dropped the ball, other than empty “zero tolerance” warnings.
There are just three bridges into the Wildwoods and three roads into Rio Grande, so access control is there. (Police did eventually close the 47 bridge.)
This outrage must be prevented in the future by implementing roadblocks after widespread public notice, and banning, ticketing and towing illegally-modified nuisance cars.
The silver lining is that this could be a money-maker. (In 2020, Ocean City, MD issued over 3,500 tickets and impounded over 350 vehicles.) But there has to be more than a once-a-year effort. Noise laws must be added or strengthened—and enforced—so those with contempt for others’ rights know they’re unwelcome unless they change their behavior.
Window-shaking boom boxes, loud exhaust, “gunfire” car sounds and other disturbances of the peace must be penalized. Reckless speeding must be curtailed.
Disruptive minors on the boardwalk and elsewhere must be increasingly detained to await their parents, who should pay fines in many cases.
Trenton must stop hamstringing local police with inane restrictions. For those unfamiliar with the “broken window theory” of policing, it states that unaddressed petty crime encourages more crime because it suggests “anything goes”.
We, along with the rest of America and the world, suffered a pandemic that triggered a period of societal upheaval, but Covid is now a manageable problem akin to the flu.
The crisis is over—it’s time to rein in the mayhem and restore some semblance of order.
This is a clearly bipartisan issue, and politicians of both parties who are unable to contribute to this basic goal must be voted out in favor of competent people who can.
In addition to municipal officials, let State Sen. Michael Testa, Assemblyman Antwan McClellan and Assemblyman Erik Simonsen know how you feel.
What a terrible tragedy that this happened. But politicizing it is shameless.
BOTH sides of aisle are 100% responsible for fixing this issue.
spike strips, when this crew or 50 dirt bikes are rolling down Ventor ave, they need to be stopped immediately. Incapacitate the vehicles and then tow them away and charge fines to get them back. I am not about over policing but these kinds of incidents need to stop. Innocent people are dying and that is unacceptable.
Thomas O,Brien, only one side of the aisle is (was) screaming defund the police and this is what you get when you don’t allow police to do their job.
You clearly have no idea what the notion of defund the police actually was suggesting. But I’m assuming you’re just fine with “your side” of extreme thinkers like MTG demanding the FBI be defunded (literally). And I don’t disagree with your idea of measures to take to stop these acts that just occurred with fatalities in Wildwood, and occurred in Ventnor earlier this year.
I have a clear understanding of what defund the police means, just look across the country with the lawlessness taking place. That’s what defunding the police does. You use the word extreme just like your president does to describe anyone who don’t see things the same way you do.
As far as the fbi goes just look up what just happened at us private vaults in ca. or maybe the school board meetings or even the guy who stands outside of planned parenthood or the mypillow guy, I’m not a fan of MTG but she may be on to something here.
It can and will happen as long as we continue to allow the children in this town to stay on the beach until late into the night.
Margate is getting known as the place to go bc there is no enforcement. The new law ties the police’s hands.
These kids climb fences and jump into private property pools, throw pool furniture into the pools, vandalize, buy eggs in Wawa and through them all over Margate, and urinate on the dunes and bulkheads. These are things I have seen and videoed. I can only imagine what else they’re up to.
They are rude, loud, drinking, shouting “I need heroin” and Let’s go f—-a 12 year old”. It was totally out of control this past summer. Police come, but their hands are tied by our Governor’s law that protects the children from being held responsible for the damage they do.
The surrounding towns have a curfew that is enforced. Why can’t we? No one will want to come here. The adults pay taxes and are victimized by children.
Let our taxes be used for more police presence. The kids need someplace to go. Let them go home at 10:00.
What exactly do your endless rants about the beach have to do with car rallies on the street, and illegal unsafe driving? NOTHING. Now return to your usual job of yelling at those darn kids to get off your lawn.
Having read many of Karen’s comments on this same topic, I’m guessing when she calls they police, she has them on speed dial and they greet her by name when they answer. Yes, better behavior is needed and yes, parental accountability is needed. Perhaps Kathryn would be willing to lead a town watch, or staff activities for the youth instead of her usual complaints about them?