Large ATV rider caravan ride reckless across Detroit

DETROIT (FOX 2) - ATV and dirt bike riders weaved through traffic, ran red lights and drove on the wrong side of the road Tuesday during rush hour.

A group of roughly 15 to 20 people formed a caravan and rode through the city Tuesday. 

"Detroit bike life, '313 Wheelie Boyz' that's all we do," said one rider. 

FOX 2 caught up with the group near Gratiot and Leland on the city's east side. Metro chopper first spotted the group on Livernois near Fenkell.

"We're from southwest. there's nothing but open land, this is all we've got to do," said another rider.

"We're not hurting anybody; we're doing the speed limit. we might blow a couple of red lights but at the end of the day we're doing the speed limit," said another rider. "So we're not hurting anybody or putting anyone in danger.

"We could be robbing or doing a bunch of other stuff but we're not." 

It's technically illegal to ride ATVs on the street, but Detroit police typically give riders a lot of leeway unless they are blatantly reckless.

Former state trooper Mark Bessner was sentenced to five to 15 years in prison Monday for killing 15-year-old Damon Grimes as he rode his ATV on the city's east side.  Bessner was chasing the teen and fired his Taser at Grimes, causing the boy to crash into a parked truck. 

On Tuesday a scout car confronted the group as they popped wheelies and drove the wrong way on Gratiot. No one was cited or arrested.

DPD says it did not receive any calls or complaints about the group. Expect to see a lot more of those ATVs and dirt bikes as the weather warms up.