Drunk Driver Disrupts Ironman Race in Florida
Heart-stopping footage reveals a suspected drunk driver careening through an Ironman race in Florida, prompting a desperate chase by the police who feared for the safety of others.
Darrell Simon, 62, allegedly drove his white Ford Focus through Jacksonville while thousands of athletes participated in the inaugural Ironman Jacksonville event on May 16th.
Spectators were alarmed as Simon bypassed barriers and navigated the designated bike and running paths, “endangering the lives of athletes and onlookers,” as stated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
As the competitors tackled the grueling 42.2-mile run, Officer Ernesto Valerio, who was managing traffic at an intersection, quickly turned his cruiser around and sped down a side street to track Simon. He later shared footage from the incident.
Valerio, part of the Special Traffic Unit, attempted to alert Simon by honking, but the driver sped into the race course, nearly colliding with a cyclist who had to swerve quickly to avoid danger.
Officer Aaron Sanchez, riding a motorcycle, positioned himself in front of Simon in an effort to halt him, but the panicked driver swerved onto a different road and broke through the police cordon.
After entering a regular roadway, Simon abruptly turned right and crashed into a parked vehicle, while Officer Valerio was hit by a fleeing car.
“That’s it. We’re going to stop this guy. He’s trying to kill someone,” Valerio remarked in the heat of the moment.
Valerio ran to Simon’s vehicle and executed a pit maneuver, disabling the errant car as multiple officers surrounded it, weapons drawn.
Simon was arrested and now faces eight felony charges, including fleeing from a police officer, aggravated driving away, driving on a revoked license, and assaulting a police officer.
He was also cited for nearly a dozen misdemeanors and traffic infractions.
Officials have indicated this is Simon’s third drunk driving arrest in the last decade.
Currently, he remains at the Jacksonville Pretrial Detention Center with bail set at $215,042.
His next court appearance is slated for June 16, as per jail records.
Fortunately, there were no injuries reported during this chaotic police pursuit.
The sheriff’s office expressed pride in their officers who bravely put themselves at risk to safeguard Ironman participants and spectators from a potentially disastrous incident.
