Upstate man arrested in connection with illegal ‘drift racing’ in Shirley

Suffolk County Police arrested a 26-year-old man from upstate Mahopac on Monday in connection with illegal drift racing in Shirley over the weekend.

The incident was part of an emerging trend of planned and unsanctioned, early morning car meet-ups in Brookhaven that have incensed local authorities and flabbergasted area residents.

Anthony Bartoszewicz was arrested and charged with reckless driving about 5:30 p.m. on Monday — some 40 hours after the purple Dodge Charger he was allegedly driving recklessly at the intersection of Montauk Highway and William Floyd Parkway stalled during a rubber-burning, spark-inducing spin out, police said.

Cops added that Bartoszewicz was observed performing “donuts” — a maneuver where a driver spins their vehicle in tight circles — with a purple 2023 Dodge Charger. The vehicle, later determined to be a rental, stalled during the incident, at which point Bartoszewicz fled the scene on foot, police said.

Below is a video of the drift racing activity early Sunday in Shirley. A purple Dodge Charger is prominent.

Several drifting events, as described by officials, occurred early Sunday, including in Miller Place at Route 25A and Miller Place Road and inside Gateway Plaza shopping center off Sunrise Highway in Patchogue. A meet-up event also occurred in Sound Beach.

A 19-year-old woman was struck by a vehicle during the shenanigans at Gateway Plaza, police said. She was treated at a hospital for serious injuries.

During the incidents, participants block off the intersections to perform dangerous stunts in front of crowds. Spectators and passengers, sometimes hanging out of car windows, enthusiastically record the events on their phones, further fueling the trend on social media.

Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico expressed his anger over the situation, calling on authorities to take stricter action against participants.

“Cars must be seized, fines must be increased, registrations voided, and the general sense of coddling wrongdoers must cease in NYS,” Panico wrote in a Facebook post. “The people demand law and order and should have it.”

Bartoszewicz was issued a desk appearance ticket and will be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip at a later date.

Prior coverage

‘Drift racing’ creates havoc on Island roadways; supervisor calls for action

_{Top image: Facebook video still/Jon Calfa}