Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Street Racing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board upholds street-racing violation, fines driver $1,000 and orders six-month impoundment
Summary
A Louisville Metro code-enforcement panel upheld a street-racing citation tied to a Derby-night event, imposing a $1,000 fine and six-month impoundment after reviewing video showing a vehicle with a Kentucky plate; the defendant said the plate had been stolen and disputed that the car in the video was his.
A Louisville Metro Code Enforcement hearing on June 26 upheld a street-racing citation against Felix Almarales Gonzales, fining him $1,000 and ordering the subject vehicle impounded for six months.
The board reviewed LMPD video evidence of a May 5 incident during Derby night that showed a black 2016 Dodge Challenger driving recklessly and performing burnouts near a crowded intersection. An officer testified the vehicle was identified by a rear license plate recorded in the footage. The officer said the plate read Kentucky 718YJW.
Gonzales disputed the identification. He testified that the plate shown in the video had been stolen from his car on April 29 and that he had obtained replacement plates on May 1. An interpreter translated parts of his testimony for the record; Gonzales said the vehicle in the video was not his and that the rims and plate did not match his car. The officer replied that identification relied on the registration plate visible in the video.
After considering the video, officer testimony and Gonzales’s claim that his plate had been stolen, the board said the state’s evidence established the violation and sustained the citation. The board imposed the $1,000 civil penalty and ordered the vehicle impounded for six months, and closed the case.
The ruling notes that questions about plate theft were made part of the record; the transcript shows Gonzales continued to protest post-ruling, reiterating that his replacement plate had been issued May 1. The board recorded his protest and concluded the proceeding.
What happens next: The board’s order imposes the civil penalty and vehicle hold; any further administrative or criminal actions would be separate from this enforcement hearing.
Speakers quoted: “The number of the plate on the vehicle is Kentucky registration plate 718YJW,” an officer testified on identification of the vehicle. Felix Almarales Gonzales said he reported his plate missing April 29 and obtained a new plate May 1, and told the board the car shown was not his.
Ending: The board closed the matter after issuing the penalty and impound order.
