JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 62-year-old driver who was caught on camera barreling through the Ironman Jacksonville race last month will appear in court Thursday on DUI and other charges.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office shared dash cam video earlier this month of Darrell Simon narrowly missing athletes during a chaotic chase through Riverside before police used a PIT maneuver to end the pursuit near Five Points.
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Simon was initially booked on eight felony charges and nearly a dozen misdemeanors and violations, but several charges have been dropped heading into his arraignment Thursday morning.
Simon is now facing a total of nine charges, including driving on a suspended or revoked license, driving on the wrong side of a divided highway and felony DUI. Court records show this was Simon’s third DUI arrest in the past decade.
No Ironman athletes were hurt during the May 16 chase, even though Simon narrowly missed hitting several, but police say he could have easily killed someone.
Dash cam video
JSO said the incident unfolded on May 16 as Officer Ernesto Valerio was blocking traffic to allow Ironman athletes to complete their 26.2-mile run. Valerio heard over the radio that a driver, later identified as Simon, was traveling through both the bike and run courses.
The video showed Valerio catching up to the vehicle and attempting to pull the driver over multiple times. Dash cam footage captured several moments where the driver came dangerously close to striking athletes on the course.
See the video below:
The footage also showed another officer, who JSO identified as Aaron Sanchez, risking his life, positioning his motorcycle in an attempt to stop the vehicle. But Simon drove around the officer and sped off.
Before he made the next move, Valerio could be heard saying, “We got to stop this guy. He’s going to kill someone.”
Valerio ultimately brought the chase to an end using a PIT maneuver at the intersection of Riverside Park Place and Park Street.
Other nearby officers helped take Simon into custody.