A Key West taxicab driver helped police catch an alleged reckless driver downtown early Thursday morning.
The taxi driver said a black Mustang nearly hit his cab and ran a moped off the road passing him on Palm Avenue around 1:40 a.m. He said the Mustang was hitting the curb and swerving back and forth, forcing other cars to veer off. The Mustang driver, later identified as 35-year-old Sergio Gonzalez of Key West, then turned onto Simonton Street, splashing pedestrians with standing water as he passed by. On whitehead Street, the Mustang continued to swerve, endangering other cars,he said. The cab driver flagged down Key West Police Officer Dave Black at Whitehead Street and Truman Avenue, where Gonzalez was stopped for a red light two car lengths ahead of the taxi.
Black followed the Mustang as it allegedly turned left onto Truman and sped up to the corner of Duval where it squealed its tires turning right. It continued speeding south on Duval Street, narrowly missing several pedestrians. Black turned on his patrol car's overhead lights and siren as Gonzalez nearly ran into the back of a pedicab by Duval Square. He stopped there.
Black ran a check on the construction worker's license. He had none. Furthermore, Black found out Gonzalez was wanted for violating probation granted on a DUI charge, by failing to pay fines or court costs, not finishing DUI school and not performing 50 hours of court-ordered community service work. Bond had been set at $10,000. Black arrested Gonzalez and took him to the Monroe County jail.