Wildwood wants to triple costs of fines for illegal car rallies
WILDWOOD, N.J. (CBS) -- Cape May County leaders are discussing solutions to prevent unsanctioned car rallies two weeks after the Wildwood Police Department said an H2Oi car rally resulted in multiple crashes and the deaths of two people.
Wildwood Mayor Pete Byron said the town is seeking permission from the state to triple the cost of fines for traffic violations and towing charges stemming from unsanctioned car rallies.
He says the idea for the legislation came from talking with Ocean City, Maryland's leaders who dealt with H2Oi rallies from 2017 to 2021.
"Once you get this legislation in place, and we get it out there that this is in place, they're not going to want to come," Byron said. "It's really kind of putting our foot on their throat."
Byron said it'll take at least 60 to 90 days to get legislative approval.
Middle Township Mayor Timothy Donohue is proposing a regional task force made up of every city and town in the county to prepare for the next unsanctioned car rally.
"These car rally people are pretty sophisticated when it comes to social media," Donohue said. "I think if we take a regional approach where everyone is enforcing the same laws, the same ordinances, we have a better chance of preventing this from happening again."