Two were hit by a car, hospitalized after taking over Anaheim Street

It started with an all-too-common, albeit illegal, street craze in Orange County.

It ended with two teenagers being hospitalized after being hit by a car and the suspected driver fleeing the scene.

Attracted by social media and WhatsApp ads, hundreds of spectators showed up at the intersection of Orangewood Avenue and State College Boulevard in Anaheim before 2 a.m. Friday to watch the cars spin in circles, perform stunts and make a lot of noise.

Police were called to the intersection — a few blocks from Angel Stadium, in an area dotted with businesses and apartments — but received more reports of injuries along the way.

When officers from the Anaheim Police Department arrived, they learned that a black Dodge Charger had spun out of control into the crowd and struck two 19-year-old spectators.

“When police got there around 2 a.m., most of the crowd had dispersed, but they did see two pedestrians who had been hit,” said Sgt. Matt Sutter. “Officers and paramedics administered medical treatment and the men were transported to the nearest hospital.”

Sutter said the men, who are still in the hospital, have “broken bones, lacerations and gashes” but are in stable condition.

The driver of the Charger was not at the scene and the vehicle was impounded, Sutter said.

“We’re looking into who’s responsible and who’s at fault,” Sutter said.

Sutter said street busting in the area is “not unusual,” although he warned that it is illegal and dangerous.

Foreclosures in Southern California, including Los Angeles and Orange counties, surged in 2020 as businesses and schools closed due to the pandemic. These have decreased in number as outages have eased in the era of COVID, but still occur periodically.

Some of the side shows, as they are also called, were deadly and destructive. This summer, one in downtown Los Angeles ended with two sedans bursting into flames at West 18th and Main streets.

This problem has prompted the Los Angeles City Council to focus on certain areas installation of a lying policemanincluding 20 popular street attractions.