A television show centered around street racing in Oklahoma is facing significant backlash after its production crew shut down a major U.S. highway. The incident has ignited controversy, especially as reports surfaced indicating local police involvement in facilitating the closure.
State Highway 81 in Union City became the epicenter of the dispute, as it was closed for approximately ten hours on a Saturday night for filming purposes. The aftermath of the event was still visible days later, with burn marks and oily residue staining the highway surface, as observed on the following Wednesday.
The show in question, “Street Outlaws” broadcasted on the Discovery Channel, portrays itself as capturing the world of illegal street racing in Oklahoma City. However, the filming location on this occasion was situated roughly 20 miles outside of OKC, in Union City.
When a News 9 photojournalist, Cody McDonell, arrived at the scene with his camera on Saturday night, he was promptly instructed to leave. A man, identifying himself as a “police officer in Oklahoma” and displaying a badge, asserted, “It is a permitted area. It is closed.”
Despite News 9’s presence on a public street, a Union City police officer intervened, escalating the situation by threatening the photojournalist with arrest. “If you don’t want to leave I will put you under arrest,” the officer stated.
Local officers at the location maintained that the area was permitted and therefore off-limits to the public. Union City Police Chief Robert Ague, in a statement on Wednesday, defended the actions, claiming the journalist’s presence was “creating a hazard.” He elaborated, “Creates a hazard for the motoring public and whenever you have vehicles sitting off on the side of the road it creates a traffic hazard.”
However, Dr. Joey Senat, an OSU Associate Professor and First Amendment expert, contradicted this justification. He asserted that News 9, as a news organization, was “well within our rights” to be present, regardless of any permits.
Residents in the vicinity have indicated that highway racing has become a frequent occurrence. Jenny Shieber, a local resident, commented, “There for a while it was every week for a couple weeks,” highlighting the recurring nature of these events. While Shieber expressed no major concerns about the highway closure itself, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) voiced significant objections.
Records indicate that the show’s producers obtained a permit for a mere $25 to close the highway starting at 6 p.m. Chief Ague admitted that neither the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) nor OHP were notified about the closure. Lt. Betsy Randolph of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol stated, “Anytime you would shut down a US Highway that was designated a commercial motor vehicle oversized road route without prior approval, we really frown on that.”
Lt. Randolph further emphasized the broader implications of the incident, stating, “If the roadway is going to be shut down we really would rather it not be for illegal purposes as in illegal street racing.” She also raised concerns about the lack of proper traffic control measures and alternative routes, as well as the responsibility for cleaning up the highway after such events. “The burden on cleaning up the highway on this sort of event goes back to the taxpayers,” Randolph concluded, highlighting the financial implications for the community.
