West Hartford police investigate hundreds of illegal ATVs and motorcycles that roared town Sunday evening, blocking traffic

Over 200 motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles filled the streets of West Hartford Sunday evening, taking up both sides of traffic and causing multiple complaints to local police, who because of state laws, can’t do much about it.

“Enforcing traffic laws against these ATVs, we find it to be very challenging,” Assistant Chief Lawrence Terra said in a news conference Monday afternoon. “Often they don’t have registration plates on them, and the operators fail to stop when we indicate our lights and sirens to pull them over. State law prohibits us from using tire deflation devices, as well as setting up roadblocks, and of course, we cannot pursue them under the law because it’s only a motor vehicle or property type crime.”

Police are unsure where group of vehicles came from, but said the organized parade traveled west on Farmington Avenue towards the West Hartford Center, turned onto Mountain Road then continued through Ridgewood Road before traveling to New Britain Avenue towards New Britain around 7 p.m. There were no accidents or injuries reported.

Terra said that often, vehicles that travel in this manner, although disruptive, are only causing a motor vehicle violation. The violation means police cannot pursue a chase for the safety of the officers and riders.

“Remember they don’t wear seatbelts, they don’t have any type of protection,” Terra said. “Is it prudent for us to chase someone over a motor vehicle violation, which we can’t anyways, and jeopardizing someone else’s life?”

Instead, officers are looking to identify riders through video and social media to issue tickets and try to get the vehicles off the road.

“Some of these are very distinctively painted. … [And] believe it or not, some of these operators actually posted a video online,” Terra said. “[We] issue them a ticket, or a fine, or whatever it is. If a vehicle on the road is unregistered, we can tow it, and if we tow it, it’s off the road and we prevented that vehicle from being on the road and creating all these problems. There’s various different ways we can go about it, but again, we need those tips. We need to identify some of the people driving them.”

Terra said that they’ve received some leads already, but for anyone with information to contact the department at (860) 570-8870.

The illegal ATV’s are an issue towns across the state have been trying to manage. In late April, Hartford police had seized 30 vehicles in three weeks.

“It’s not a new phenomenon,” Terra said. “It’s been occurring throughout the state. They’re come through West Hartford before, but I think last night’s crew was probably the largest we’ve seen pretty much.”

The police department is also looking for “appropriate solutions and responses to this specific problem,” including local ordinances to regulate ATVs on the road.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Jessika Harkay can be reached at jharkay@courant.com.