D.C. police are searching for the drivers of ATVs and dirt bikes, which are illegal to ride on the city's streets, authorities say.
The Metropolitan Police Department released over 100 photos of illegal ATV riders in August. The vehicles are a threat to pedestrians and other motorists, the police said in a statement.
D.C. residents who live in the U Street corridor, known for its bustling nightlife, said the ATV and dirt bike riders can create dangerous situations.
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“I was leaving to go get on the Metro and the ATVs like came right up close to me, super close,” resident Emily Ogorzalek said. "It was a little unsettling."
Ogorzalek said she has heard the ATVs the past couple of weekends.
"It's not great when I have like my sister visiting or I have my friends visiting. It's not like, 'Oh, this is a great place to live," she said. "It's kind of like, 'Oh my god, I'm so sorry that this is happening on the weekends when you're visiting.'"
Another resident, named Peter, said the roar of the ATVs is what bothers him the most.
"You hear it from like a million miles away right?" Peter said. "You're like what is going on there, either there is an enormous aircraft carrier landing on my street or it is this train of ATVs going by."
Residents can use MPD's Bonus 2 Phone Us Program and call 202-727-9099 to report an incident of illegal ATV or dirt bike riding. If information leads to confiscation of a vehicle or the identification of a rider, the caller is eligible to receive $250.
It's a program, Ogorzalek said she supports and nearly used after ATVs woke her up last weekend.
"Right as I went to go text them, it was like 3 a.m. and the ATVs disappeared," she said.
