Agoura Hills neighbors concerned as ‘the snake’ reopens, bringing street racers back to Mulholland Highway

AGOURA HILLS, Calif. () — A twisty stretch of Mulholland Highway that’s popular with thrill-seekers is finally back open, seven years after it was damaged in the Woolsey Fire and the mudslides that followed.

The reopening of the stretch of road known as “the snake” has many residents on edge.

Even in the morning, you can hear the sound of roaring vehicles on Mulholland Highway. Residents say they don’t want to hear it anymore.

“There’s a history of death on this road right here on the stretch that can’t be denied,” said Deana Kearns, who lives along the road.

“The snake” — the 2.5-mile stretch of Mulholland Highway between Kanan Road and Sierra Creek — winds through the Santa Monica Mountains with some sharp hairpin turns. For years, it’s attracted people who want to drive fast and race.

It’s been closed to traffic since early 2019 after it was damaged in the Woolsey Fire, but it reopened this week, and the racers are back.

“As soon as the road opened, social media, within three hours, sick people with 60,000 followers told everybody the road is open,” Kearns said.

While Eyewitness News was in the area, crews saw a number of cars and motorbikes racing by. Residents shared video showing cars racing at night. They say it’s very dangerous.

“Me and my husband have talked about moving my two children out of their bedroom, because their bedroom is on this side, because we’re fearful that a car is going to fly over and go into their room at night,” resident Cassie Copperfield said.

It’s a state road, and the county says it has installed updated striping and rumble strips, and California Highway Patrol is also conducting enhanced enforcement.

Neighbors worry, however, that an accident could cause a fire.

“They go off the canyons. We don’t need another fire. That’s what closed it initially,” Tammy Maginnis said.

Supervisor Lindsey Horvath’s office sent Eyewitness News a statement that says, in part, “My office has directed Public Works to continue evaluating the area for additional improvements and report back in six and twelve months. We have kept this road closed following the Woolsey Fire for as long as state law allows.”

Residents are worried about this weekend, since it’s the first weekend since the road reopened. They expect there could be hundreds of people racing down the road.