Police investigate after truck driver does 'burnout' on West Virginia Pride crosswalk

Police in Huntington, West Virginia are investigating skid marks that were left on a Pride crosswalk on the street. After an LGBTQ organization painted the colors on the street, a truck peeled out the left the marks on the rainbow-colored street painting. Now police are investigating.

According to a report from Eyewitness News, police in Huntington have begun looking into the case and are "investigating the circumstances." The driver in the truck did a burn out, leaving marks and creating a cloud of smoke.  

Huntington Police Chief Phil Watkins released a statement, "The Huntington Police Department are aware of the incident and is investigating the circumstances. Huntington Pride, a nonprofit organization, raised funds throughout the community to pay for the paint and hire the artists, however, the city will coordinate with Huntington Pride on any needed touch-ups of the art installation in the future." 

Ally Layman, president of Huntington Pride, told the outlet that the centerpiece of the intersection, or the "jewel" in the center, "represents the Jewel City," and that Huntington Pride will continue to keep painting the colors on the street after the painting was scuffed up by the truck. Resident William Cummins told the outlet, "I’m not really in agreeance with one community, whether it be the LGBT or heterosexual." 

"People shouldn’t put their private lives right in front of everybody for any kind of movement. It’s private for a reason but doing this was not right. It’s not right to have vandalized. It’s not a protest, it’s bull crap. People need to do better," Cummins said.

The crosswalk was painted across the sidewalks and in the middle of an intersection on 4th Avenue and 10th Street. It went up on Saturday and lasted only three days before the burnout. Police monitored the intersection for for 48 hours days after Saturday. Police did not immediately know the suspect driving the truck.

Across the country, police have found themselves investigating drivers who leave marks on the Pride street paintings. It's become a trend. Recently, three teenagers were charged with felonies for doing so with scooters in Washington state.