Name: Video shows dozens of young people riding bikes through I-91 traffic in New Haven
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Video shows dozens of young people riding bikes through I-91 traffic in New Haven

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AdvertisementBy Hartford CourantJul 22, 2020 at 9:23 amA man riding in a car on I-91 last Saturday was shocked by what he saw out the window: Dozens and dozens of young riders - mostly appearing to be teenagers - briefly taking over a stretch of the highway on bicycles, doing wheelies and other tricks alongside traffic.“We saw them getting on the ramp before Exit 8 - there had to be over 100, I’d estimate 150 to 175,” said the man, who shot video that’s racked up thousands of views on Instagram.AdvertisementThe cyclists rode in the right and center lanes, only occasionally glancing at traffic passing on the left, the video shows.State police fielded several 911 calls around 3 p.m. from worried drivers, but by the time troopers assigned to Troop I arrived, the riders were gone, said Trooper First Class Christine Jeltema.Advertisement“It’s a dangerous situation. We don’t want anyone to get hurt,” Jeltema said.The man who shot the video spoke with The Courant on Tuesday, and asked to be identified only as Pasquale. He said he and his wife live in the New Haven region and don’t want the riders to harass them.Pasquale was in the passenger seat as his wife drove northbound on I-91 when they saw a line of bike riders coming up the ramp from Exit 6, he said.“We passed so many of them before I could reach into my wallet and get my phone,” he said.The video shows riders doing a series of stunts as they cruise next to traffic. At least one cyclist veered in front of traffic in the left lane, prompting Pasquale’s wife to slam on the horn.“He was laughing,” Pasquale said.Moments earlier, a different rider veered close to their car, prompting Pasquale to tell her on video “Look at this kid here, he almost fell off twice.”As it happensGet the latest updates on Coronavirus and other breaking news events happening across Connecticut &gt; Trooper Pedro Muniz noted that cyclists are barred from limited access highways in Connecticut and - like pedestrians - can be fined if they are caught violating the law.Advertisement“I have no idea what made them do that,” he said of Saturday’s incident.Pasquale said he wonders why local police didn’t notice the group forming, since the riders had to gather on local roads before reaching the interstate.“I can’t imagine how they organized this whole thing. Everybody has been asking where were the state police, but I want to know where the local cops were - these kids had to be congregating someplace first,” he said.New Haven police could not be reached for comment.In Philadelphia, Manhattan and other major cities, riders have used social media to promote videos showing mass rides through city streets - often with riders blowing through red lights, crossing between lanes in front of cars, or riding close alongside moving buses and trucks.Hartford and New Britain have occasionally experienced packs of quads and dirt bike riders racing through city streets; New Britain police in May seized 16 ATVs and dirt bikes after a rash of complaints. But neither city has reported large groups of cyclists riding recklessly. Advertisement

AdvertisementBy Hartford CourantJul 22, 2020 at 9:23 amA man riding in a car on I-91 last Saturday was shocked by what he saw out the window: Dozens and dozens of young riders - mostly appearing to be teenagers - briefly taking over a stretch of the highway on bicycles, doing wheelies and other tricks alongside traffic.“We saw them getting on the ramp before Exit 8 - there had to be over 100, I’d estimate 150 to 175,” said the man, who shot video that’s racked up thousands of views on Instagram.AdvertisementThe cyclists rode in the right and center lanes, only occasionally glancing at...

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Video shows dozens of young people riding bikes through I-91 traffic in New Haven

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