Police shut down a large gathering of car enthusiasts on Saturday.
MASSILLON After shutting down a large gathering of car enthusiasts over the weekend, officials are urging residents to take heed to the state’s stay safe order to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Police Chief Keith Moser said there were a few hundred vehicles, and as many people, gathered Saturday in the former Kmart parking lot at 2600 Lincoln Way E.
The parking lot has been a meeting place for car enthusiasts for several years, the chief said. Even when the store was open, the group would hang out in the lot showing off their vehicles, but this was the first time Moser saw this many vehicles.
The volume of vehicles slowed traffic in the area, he said.
The event’s organizer, Mark Deeser, said his group Cruiser Kids had planned to cruise Lincoln Way — a throw back to the ’50s and ’60s.
Deeser said the group planned to meet at the Kmart and pull out around 8 p.m. to cruise the stretch of Lincoln Way between Massillon and Canton, stopping to patronize fast-food joints along the strip and wave to those who gathered along the roadway to check out the classic cars and hot rods.
“We are a group of older people who enjoy cars. It’s a hobby for us all,” he said. “It’s something we can do to stay out of trouble and we enjoy it.”
Deeser suspects the first cruise of the season drew nearly 600 cars because it was a nice day and many are tired of being cooped up.
The cruise, he said, drew people from Columbus, Dayton, Cleveland and Toldeo and everywhere in between.
Massillon Health Commissioner Terri Argent said if drivers had remained in their vehicles and kept a safe distance, there wouldn’t have been an issue, but many of those attending the event were hanging out in big groups and interacting with each other posing a danger to the public.
The new directive that went into effect at midnight Friday, continues to limit social gatherings to 10 people and for people to keep at least 6 feet of distance to another person, Argent explained.
Moser said after consulting with a health department official who was on scene, the group was asked to disperse. Those attending the event left without an issue, he said.
“They knew they were in the wrong and went about their business,” the chief said. “It’s just not the time to do this stuff. We still got the (state) order in place and we’re required to enforce that order by state ordinance.”
Violators can be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor for violating the state order.
Moser said this was the first large-scale gathering officers had to break up.
Deeser said via the club’s Facebook page, he advised participants to remain in the vehicles and to wear masks.
He is trying to work with city officials to organize other cruises including a Memorial Day cruise that would feature the vehicles sporting American flags.
“We were just going to parade down the street and celebrate what we can,” Deeser said. “We wanted to do our part to (help) during these times.”
Deeser wants to do everything he can to abide by the law, but to enjoy his hobby while keeping everyone safe.
The club is going to sit down and figure out how they can do that, he said.
“We like to do the cruises,” the Canton man said. “People like to come out and wave. We try not to break any laws or do anything wrong.”
Argent and Moser anticipate seeing more and more groups gathering as the warmer weather sets in, but they encourage residents to follow the state order.
“The virus is still out there,” Argent said. “It’s going to be a out there for awhile. People have to be aware of that, even though the weather is getting nice, we still have to maintain social distancing, wear a mask to protect others and still wash your hands more than usual.”
