ORLANDO, Fla. — Pete Muller, organizer of the “Cars and Coffee” event, expressed shock after two attendees were arrested for street racing following the event outside Full Sail University on Sunday.
Muller says he hires security to keep people safe at his events. Deputies reported around 30 people gathered along the street to watch as vehicle began leaving the lot, leading to dangerous students from a driver in a BMW.
During the incident, Orange County Sheriff Lieutenant Mike Crabb stated, “There was no issues at all until they decided to pull out.” He also warned that the reckless behavior presented risks to bystanders, saying it “could have easily lost control gone up on the curb and taken out ten or fifteen people.”
Laurie Broadus, whose son Shawn died in a street racing incident on Semoran Boulevard in 2006, reflected on the dangers of street racing. “My son was killed on 2:20 in the afternoon on Semoran. So it doesn’t matter day or night. It’s an adrenaline rush,” she said.
Despite the troubling incident, Lt. Crabb reported a decrease in street racing arrests, noting, “Last year they made 65 arrests, this year it’s down to 45 arrests.” He emphasized that the majority of car meetups, including “Park and Chills,” have not caused issues, stating, “It’s the activity from a very small percentage that creates havoc and endangers the public that we have issues with.”
Muller expressed concern about the negative image created by such incidents, remarking, “It’s annoying because it creates a bad image for the car scene, the legitimate car scene.”
As a consequence of the incidents, a spokesperson for Full Sail University announced that there would be no future events of “Cars and Coffee” held at their location. She added that it was never an official school event.
With the event no longer hosted at Full Sail University, future car meetups may need to find new locations to gather safely.
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