Jump Over Ego Alley Was Supposed To Have Closed Set: Mayor

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Residents were not invited to watch the recent Ego Alley stunt, Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley asserted Wednesday. Still, hundreds of people flocked to downtown Annapolis on Oct. 22 to see Maryland motor sports star Travis Pastrana jump over the waterway in a rally car.

Video from City Dock shows that the swath of attendees was not socially distanced. Many fans did not wear masks, putting residents at risk for catching coronavirus. Buckley said the city has hundreds of signs downtown advertising the state's mask mandate.

"In all of our communications with the public and the media, we stressed that it was a closed set," Buckley said in a press release. "We asked the public not to come."

The city released a FAQ sheet ahead of the jump, announcing that the Annapolis Police Department would close roads for the stunt. Though the post mentioned that officers may turn away fans, it did not explicitly prohibit attendance.

"There may be areas that are completely off-limits during the time of setup and filming," the announcement said. "There is no way to guarantee that all areas will be accessible to the public at all times. If you plan to come to watch, please be aware that you may be turned away at the site. "

Buckley added that Annapolis did not pay for any part of the jump, which will be featured in a movie that premiers in January. The company that filmed the stunt, Hoonigan Industries, paid the necessary police and fire personnel at their overtime rates.

The producers bought dozens of parking passes for the impacted residents. The crew also paid the city $19,000 for lost parking income.

Though visitors were not invited to the filming, they brought $3,200 in parking garage revenue to the city, Buckley noted.

"We did our part, but we have to ask the public to do their part too," Buckley said. "If it is crowded and you are uncomfortable, don’t stay in a situation you feel is not safe."

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• Stunt Driver Jumps Over Annapolis' Ego Alley: Video

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