HOUSTON – As the legal street racing event TX2K descends on Baytown, deputies said that four people have been arrested on Houston-area highways.
William Johnson, 23, and Kent Droughton, 19, were seen by Precinct 5 deputies racing eastbound on I-10 near Barker Cypress at speeds of more than 90 miles per hour, according to the department's Facebook page.
Daniel Wojdyla, 25, was arrested on the Katy Freeway near Barker Cypress on Wednesday night.
All have been charged with racing on a highway.
Thursday morning around 3:20 a.m., Richard Treacy-Newell was arrested for racing on a highway on the Katy Freeway near Eldridge Parkway, according to the department.
While street racing is illegal in Texas, the event, TX2K, is a place where drivers can register and race on legal and designated roadways.
Slow Down Speed Racer With TX2K in town this week, Precinct 5 deputies are keeping a close eye on our roads and...
Posted by Ted Heap, Harris County Constable Precinct 5 on Thursday, March 14, 2019
Deputies said it's not what happens on the track that's cause for concern, rather, it's the threat of illegal street racing after the event that has area law enforcement on alert.
"They spill over onto our roadways and every evening starting about 8 o'clock in the evening they're on our roads and they are racing and they are going at very high rates of speed," said Sean Teare, chief vehicular crimes prosecutor for the Harris County District Attorney's Office.
Teare said this event is one of the most frightening weekends of the year, historically.
"We've got marked units. We are saturating the roads. You're going to see a police presence this weekend like you haven't seen in a long time," he said.