Deputy Police Chief Peter Dunbar On Sideshows

Police responded to reports of sideshow activity in the 7700 block of Macarthur Boulevard at about 10:30 p.m. Upon arriving in the area, the responding officer witnessed a Ford Mustang spinning donuts in front of a crowd of people, according to the police report.

When Reginald Florence, the 25-year-old Oakland resident behind the wheel of the Mustang, spotted police, he allegedly fled eastbound on Macarthur Boulevard.

Police say Florence and his three female passengers may have reached speeds of between 70 and 100 mph before the Mustang crashed head-on into a Nissan Maxima at the intersection of Macarthur Boulevard and 82nd Avenue.

The Mustang then burst into flames and came to a stop, according to the police report. After the crash, one passenger remained trapped inside the burning vehicle, but was rescued by Sgt. Sean Whent, the officer who responded to the original report of the sideshow.

Florence was transported to Highland Hospital where he was listed in serious but stable condition, according to police. He had been driving on a suspended license and was booked in absentia for suspicion of felony DUI and reckless driving.

His three passengers, all juveniles, were transported to area hospitals for treatment.

Phylicia Mitchell, the 20-year-old Oakland resident who was driving the Nissan without a license, was also transported to Highland Hospital and remains in stable condition.

Mitchell also had a female juvenile passenger in her car, who was transported to a local hospital.

Sideshows have become an increasingly popular activity among Oakland youth over the past few months, according to an Oakland police spokeswoman.

The spokeswoman defined a sideshow as a "mass grouping of vehicles" performing dangerous tricks such as doing donuts, often with onlookers standing nearby.

Most sideshows take place in the middle of roadways or intersections, according to the spokeswoman, and involve people standing on vehicles, blasting music, and showing a general "disregard for the safety of others."

Since Easter, there have been four fatalities in Oakland directly related to sideshows, the spokeswoman said.