With help from the FBI, drones and a plane, Connecticut State Police say they arrested three drivers who had been involved in illegal street racing — including a man and a woman who were speeding neck and neck on Interstate 84 at more than 120 mph.

Another arrest involved a man who was caught racing a Honda Civic with what appeared to be drag-racing-style parachute on the back, state police said.

The white Honda — minus a license plate — was spotted drag racing on Route 9 in Berlin about 11:30 p.m. Sunday, state police said. It had "what appeared to be a drag chute attached to the rear of the vehicle," police said in a news release. Troopers conducted a traffic stop after the Civic was loaded onto a flatbed trailer pulled by a pickup truck.

"The Honda Civic was found to be stolen out of Danbury and the trailer plate was misused," troopers said.

The driver of the Civic, Flor Hiram Santiago, 43, of Meriden, was arrested on 10 charges, including racing, reckless driving, second-degree reckless endangerment and other traffic offenses, state police said. He also was charged with first-degree larceny, police said. Santiago appeared Monday in state Superior Court in New Britain and was released after posting $100,000 bond, judicial records show.

A few hours after Santiago's arrest, about 1:40 a.m. Monday, investigators spotted two cars, a Toyota Camry and a Hyundai Veloster Turbo, speeding west, one next to the other, on Interstate 84 in the area of Exit 39 in Farmington, state police said. The vehicles accelerated and continued traveling side by side at speeds in excess of 120 mph, police said. Troopers were able to pull the cars over and arrested the drivers.

Police said the drivers were Tednnessy William Torrellas Hernandez, a 38-year-old Waterbury resident, and Hannah Bartolucci, a 23-year-old from Feeding Hills, Mass. Each was charged with racing, reckless driving and first-degree reckless endangerment, and released on $10,000 bond, state police said.

Torrellas Hernandez also was cited for improper use of color lights/high beams, police said.

The arrests are the latest in a string of successful efforts by troopers to stop or prevent street takeovers and illegal street racing. The state police have been working closely with other agencies, including the FBI, after being criticized for their restrained response to a raucous street takeover in Tolland last month,

There, on May 21, a woman's car was surrounded by an angry mob who blocked Route 195 and nearby highway ramps to perform stunts. The woman got out of her car and appeared in videos to be pleading with the group to allow her to pass through the area. The rioters kicked her car and even climbed onto its roof, jumping up and down, inches above the head of her husband in the passenger seat, video showed. An ambulance also was damaged during the incident, officials said.

No one was injured, but Tolland residents were upset the takeover because state police did not try to shut it down. A forum with state police leaders and residents about how law enforcement handled the incident is planned for Thursday.

Tolland was one of three places the horde of racers visited that night. Racers also went to commuters lots in Vernon and Manchester.

State police made one arrest stemming from the May 21 event and more after a street takeover in Meriden where people jumped on a police car. Police estimated 150 cars were in the group, which was playing loud music, using fireworks and doing burnouts. One person appeared to the officer to pull out a gun, police said.

State police have since shut down takeovers, including one in the Hartford tunnel Memorial Day weekend. They also started tweeting about anticipated takeovers before they happen.

Street takeovers, or sideshows, have been a problem nationally for years and became more common during the COVID-19 lockdown, when fewer cars were on the roads. They usually start with social media posts announcing the location of upcoming events, and dozens of drivers show up, blocking roads so racers can perform stunts. People hang out of cars during the stunts, others stand near them as they drive fast in circles, doing doughnuts.

Some lead to injuries and even deaths.

In Philadelphia Sunday, an 18-year-old man died when he was shot by Pennsylvania State Police who responded to a takeover. The Pennsylvania troopers found a "significant number of vehicles illegally blocking the roadway, with others doing burnouts and drifting," which is skidding sideways, according to CBS News Philadelphia.

Two of the troopers were hit by a car, and one of them fired his gun, killing the driver, CBS said.

In addition to cracking down on such events in Connecticut, state police have launched a public service announcement-style campaign to discourage illegal street racing, warning racers that they may lose their cars.

"As intelligence information is received, the locations of anticipated street racing events are being shared by both state police social media accounts and/or accounts managed by local police departments," state police said Monday.

"In addition, organizers, participants and spectators alike are being reminded of the potential consequences of involvement in illegal street racing events through the use of billboards throughout the state, bearing the message, 'You race it, you lose it.'"