Reporter staff

Floyd D. Gonzales pleaded not guilty at his arraignment July 23 at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent to charges of vehicular homicide, felony hit and run and reckless endangerment for allegedly causing the collision that killed popular Auburn taxi driver Brian Love in the early morning hours of July 5.

The King County Prosecutor alleges that Gonzalez, 29, was under the influence of alcohol when the SUV he was driving ran a red light and collided with the taxi, killing Love on impact.

Prosecutors are tyin the reckless endangerment charge to the allegation that, by speeding and failing to stop for a red light, Gonzales put his girlfiend and only passenger, Latasha Moses, 21, at “a substantial risk of death and serious injury.”

According to court papers, the force of the collision flipped Gonzalez’ vehicle onto its roof and it slid to a stop just south of the taxi. Bleeding from his arm, according to court papers, Gonzalez immediately crawled out. Although a witness offered to help him to a curb, court papers say, Gonzales ran away westbound on foot, without first checking for any possible injuries to the occupants of either vehicle.

Police caught up with Gonzales at Second and South Division where a witness to the accident identified him as the driver of the SUV. There, showing obvious signs of impairment, according to court papers, Gonzales admitted that he was “intoxicated.”

According to court papers, Gonzalez, a convicted felon, was sentenced in 2001 to more than 10 years in Thurston County for assault 2 and kidnapping 1. Released last December he is on active community custody for those crimes.

A case setting hearing is at 1 p.m. July 31 Gonzalez remains in jail on $1 million bail.