A group of dirt bikes and ATVs were seen riding on sidewalks and running a red light this weekend in downtown Denver.
Neighbor TJ Jeffrey captured a video around 1 a.m. Saturday near 17th and Glenarm while walking his dog, Chapo. “I’ve lived downtown for 15 years, and nothing surprises me, but I hear it all the time,” Jeffrey said. “It’s just crazy. The safety for themselves too, like no one was wearing helmets.”
The Denver Police Department (DPD) commented on these types of incidents, stating that there are frequent reports of off-road motorcycles and ATVs being driven recklessly throughout the city. According to DPD, officers issue citations when it’s safe to do so, but challenges arise in enforcing licensing laws due to the lack of identifying marks on these vehicles and riders often fleeing before officers arrive.
These vehicles are not legal to operate on city streets, and DPD encourages anyone witnessing such activity to report it. They also warned that vehicles involved in speed contests can be impounded under Denver’s Public Nuisance Abatement ordinance.
Fortunately, Jeffrey and his dog were unharmed. “With how close I was to the door, I could have been clipped, or my dog could have been clipped, especially with the high speeds they were going,” Jeffrey added. “They don’t see it as being violent, but it’s violent in a different way.”
