YOUNGSTOWN — Keagan Schreckengost, 19, pleaded not guilty Monday in Youngstown Municipal Court to misdemeanor street racing in an early-Saturday incident at a West Side industrial park similar to one the previous weekend — late April 13.

A Youngstown police report states that an officer was parked stationary at Salt Springs Road and Geoffrey Trail in the northwestern corner of the city about 12:56 a.m. Saturday.

He was there because of “numerous complaints of street racing and vehicle takeovers,” the report states.

The preparetoact.com website describes vehicle “takeovers” as being “illegal gatherings where drivers perform reckless stunts, blocking intersections.”

It adds that they are “also referred to as car meets, sideshows or street racing events.” They “involve gatherings of car enthusiasts and thrill-seekers engaging in disruptive and dangerous activities on public roads.

The officer reported hearing a large group of people and vehicles congregating in the parking lot of the Second Harvest Food Bank, 2808 Salt Springs Road, and two vehicles traveling south on Salt Springs Road. The vehicles then turned around and were facing north. The officers could hear their engines “excessively revving,” the report states.

The tires then squealed, and the vehicles traveled next to each other at high speed north on Salt Springs Road, the report states. As the vehicles passed the officer’s position, he activated his lights and siren to conduct a traffic stop. The two vehicles were a Mercury Grand Marquis and what appeared to be a Cadillac, the report states. The Mercury stopped at Salt Springs Road at Geoffrey Trail, but the other vehicle continued north at high speed.

The officer spoke with Schreckengost, who was in the Mercury. He was a valid driver and free of warrants. The crowd at Second Harvest Food Bank “began to flee the parking lot,” the report states. Schreckengost was advised he was being cited, and his car was towed. Schreckengost was released at the scene.

DOWNTOWN SUNDAY

A separate Youngstown police report released Monday states officers were near the Youngstown Police Department on West Boardman Street downtown at 1:12 p.m. Sunday when two four-wheelers and two dirt bikes drove in front of the police station.

Officers followed the group in their cruisers. On the Market Street Bridge, all four vehicles took evasive maneuvers, crossing the double yellow line and driving on the sidewalk, the report states.

Because of oncoming traffic and likely risk of a crash, officers did not activate lights and sirens until Market Street near Wayne Avenue, a short distance south of the downtown area. Traffic was relatively clear, the report noted.

The officers activated their lights and sirens, and the motorcycles and four-wheelers fled, driving about 50 mph and making a left turn and continuing east, the report states. The pursuit was ended by the shift commander’s office.

LAST WEEKEND

Youngstown police also were advised that between 11:05 p.m. and 11:40 p.m. April 13, in an industrial park on Intertech Drive between Salt Springs and Meridian roads on Youngstown’s West Side, motorists were “racing and doing burnouts.”

The report states that the parking lot of a business “had visible tire marks throughout.” An individual reported this is “an ongoing issue” and there is security footage of the vehicles.

The term “burnout” describes a driver forcing the rear tires of a vehicle to spin rapidly on the road, producing a great deal of smoke.