For one year, James Craig has dealt with two incidences dealing with freeway shutdowns. One occurred in the summer of 2019 on the Lodge Freeway and the other on I-94 in the winter of 2019. Now, Craig is working with the drifting community to end freeway driving incidences.
Daryl Hairston and Will Quarles are a part of the drifting group, Tripmode Active. Hairston and Quarles met with Craig to discuss how both parties can create a safe space for drifting drivers to enjoy themselves. “When you really think about it, what makes it criminal if it’s done in a safe way, in a safe location?” said Craig. “It really is about safety. We want to work very quickly to find a place where they can have an opportunity to drift, certainly, in a safe way. They don’t have any place to go. They’re going to do it. We know that. We want to be part of the solution.”
Both Hairston and Quarles are advocating for safer drifting experiences for their respective community. “It’s a mutual agreement,” Hairston said. “We’re tired of running and tired of them chasing us. We’re not trying to get in anyone’s way. We’re just really trying to have fun.” “Street takeovers and freeway takeovers, it’s not safe for nobody,” Quarles said.
Although drifting is a dangerous act, it’s always been a way to “stop the violence” from occurring due to older members in the group who keep things under control.
On January 20, Devin Cronk, the man responsible for the I-94 incident, was charged with two misdemeanors, reckless driving and disturbing the peace.