Sideshows Cause Turmoil in Bay Area with Bay Bridge Traffic Snarl,

Source: I, Sailko, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Bay Area was disrupted by a series of sideshow activities that spiraled out of control over the weekend, causing chaos across several cities. One event escalated into a major spectacle on the eastbound deck of the Bay Bridge, trapping eastbound traffic behind a curtain of tire smoke and the flare of fireworks. According to a video posted by SFist, the sideshow involved over 100 spectators and lasted approximately 20 minutes. Earlier in Oakland, around the 4100 block of International Boulevard, a sideshow was reported with about 70 vehicles and 200 attendees, said a report captured by the Citizen app.

In a sweep that included everything from spinning cars to people dangerously close to harm's way, Oakland saw additional sideshows near Alma Avenue and Oakland High School and another in the Peninsula that traveled from Menlo Park to Mountain View. As SFist reported, a 20-year-old woman from Pittsburg suffered a broken ankle in Mountain View after being hit by a car. In Menlo Park, police contended with a crowd of approximately 200 people that had taken over the intersection of Willow Road and Newbridge Street.

Responding to the Bay Bridge event, the California Highway Patrol found the westbound lanes completely obstructed by the assembly, eventually detaining four individuals once backup arrived. According to KRON4, "Two vehicles were towed from the scene," and "four individuals were detained," with two of those being minors. The lanes were cleared by 3:35 a.m., bringing an end to the immediate disruption. Additionally, the incident in Menlo Park left one of the responding officer's vehicles damaged due to the crowd's unruly behavior.

The Oakland Police Department is currently investigating the sideshows in their city. "Both sideshows are an ongoing investigation," a representative told KRON4, urging anyone with information to contact the OPD Traffic Section. With multiple incidents spanning the Bay, authorities are yet to confirm if these events are interconnected or merely coincidental occurrences sharing the chaos of Saturday's lawlessness.