Just before 2 a.m. on Sept. 14, engines roared in a Landover, Maryland, shopping center parking lot as a crowd gathered to watch souped-up cars spin in tight circles under the glow of streetlights. Then one car lost control.
Police say the white Infiniti sedan careened into a woman standing nearby, throwing her against another car. Police documents describe a violent impact that left her with life-threatening injuries: multiple fractures, lung trauma and a breathing tube to keep her alive. She survived and has since been released from the hospital.
The driver sped off, police said, but was later arrested and charged with assault and a range of traffic violations. Prince George’s County has seen at least 12 such takeovers this year, part of a growing trend that has prompted calls for tougher laws and more coordinated enforcement nationwide…