BUFFALO, N.Y. — When the temperatures go up in the City of Buffalo, ATVs and dirt bikes run rampant through the streets.
Over the weekend, officials in Buffalo say they seized 31 of these illegal vehicles and summoned 79 drivers for traffic violations, as the city continues to try and crack down on a problem they say they see year over year.
“It's not just that the ATVs and dirt bikes are illegally operating in the city, it's that they are putting their lives and the lives of other people at risk,” said Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown.
Two years ago, South Buffalo resident Tyler Spear said he saw the problem firsthand. An ATV driver plowed into the side of his vehicle and flew almost 15 feet into his neighbor's yard as he was returning home from work.
Spear then got out of his car, called for an ambulance, and checked to see if the driver was OK.
“I figured I was safe to make that right turn into my driveway and it was literally just like a flashlight just boom,” Spear said.
Minutes later, the driver limped back towards his vehicle and proceeded to hop on and start it before taking off down the street and leaving Spear and his family on the hook for thousands of dollars in damages.
“His words to me were, ‘I just want to see if it starts,’” Spear said. “So he cranks it up, rocks it a couple times, and takes off. And so I'm on the phone with 911 saying, ‘Well, you can cancel the EMT.’”
The issue has become so problematic that nearby Niagara County is now assisting, providing air support to help locate and seize these vehicles.
Buffalo’s Mayor Byron Brown with a stern or strong message to drivers.
“Unless you can prove ownership and prove that you can get them registered, you will have a real challenge in being able to get these vehicles back,” Brown said.
The city is also offering a $100 reward for any information that leads to the seizure of one of these illegal vehicles.