Driver Who Sped Through Ironman Jacksonville Course While Fleeing Police Pleads Guilty, Gets 10 Years in Prison

A Jacksonville man who drove through the inaugural Ironman Jacksonville race course while fleeing police in May has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to 10 years in state prison. Darrell Keith Simon, 63, changed his plea Tuesday, Oct. 20, in Duval County Circuit Court, where Judge R. Anthony Salem imposed the prison term along with five years of probation after his release and a 10-year driver's license suspension, according to the Florida Times-Union and News4JAX.

The case drew national attention after the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office released dash camera and body camera video showing Simon's car swerving through a course full of triathletes and spectators in the Riverside area on the afternoon of May 16, narrowly missing competitors before an officer forced it to a stop.

What Simon pleaded guilty to

Simon was originally booked on eight felony charges and nearly a dozen misdemeanors and violations; the Times-Union put the total at 17 offenses. He withdrew his not guilty plea and pleaded guilty to six counts, according to the court judgment described by News4JAX and the Times-Union:

• Aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer
• Leaving the scene of a crash involving injury
• Felony driving under the influence, as a third DUI offense within 10 years
• Driving with a suspended or revoked license, as a habitual traffic offender
• Possession of drug paraphernalia
• Resisting an officer without violence

News4JAX reported that the 10-year prison sentence was imposed on the aggravated fleeing count, with five-year terms on the leaving-the-scene and suspended-license counts and the DUI sentence set to run consecutive to the fleeing sentence. Simon received credit for 157 days already served in jail. The Times-Union reported that his conditions after release include five years of probation, DUI school and community service, in addition to the license suspension.

Neither report described the crash underlying the leaving-the-scene count. The sheriff's office said at the time of the arrest that no one was hurt during the chase through the race course.

What happened on the course

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said that around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 16, officers stationed along the Ironman cycling course near Five Points saw a vehicle being driven recklessly into the path reserved for runners and bicyclists. The driver refused to stop, and DUI and traffic units chased the car as it headed toward the crowded Riverside Park area, where the race's run course passed.

Officer Ernesto Valerio of the sheriff's Specialized Traffic Unit was blocking traffic for the run leg when he heard a radio report about the driver, according to CBS Miami and the Times-Union. He caught up to the car and tried several times to pull it over. Officer Aaron Sanchez also tried to stop the car from a police motorcycle. Simon briefly stopped, then drove onto the grass and led officers on a pursuit at about 60 mph, the Times-Union reported. Sheriff's officials said the car went through the bike and run courses several times.

On the video released by the sheriff's office, an officer can be heard warning that the driver was going to kill someone. Valerio rammed the car once without stopping it, then used a PIT maneuver, a tactic in which an officer bumps the rear of a fleeing vehicle to spin it out, at Riverside Park Place and Park Street. Other officers moved in and arrested Simon.

According to the arrest report cited by the Times-Union, Simon smelled of alcohol, had slurred speech and had bloodshot, glassy eyes. He told officers he was trying to pick up his wife from her dialysis center. The sheriff's office said it was his third DUI arrest in 10 years, which is what made the DUI charge a felony under Florida law.

Police response at the time

The sheriff's office said in May that the incident could have led to a tragedy and credited the officers' quick action with preventing anyone from being hurt or killed. In later comments as the video circulated nationally, the agency said it was incredibly proud of the officers who put their lives on the line to protect athletes and spectators. Officials also acknowledged that some residents had been frustrated by the traffic delays caused by road closures for the race, which had dozens of officers assigned to event safety.

How the case moved

The case was resolved about five months after the arrest. NBC reported after the arrest that Simon had been assigned a public defender. His 157 days of jail credit match the time from his May 16 arrest to his Oct. 20 sentencing, indicating he remained in custody throughout the case. The key dates:

A first-year race for Jacksonville

The May 16 event was the first Ironman Jacksonville, a full-distance triathlon that local organizers and Visit Jacksonville promoted as a major sports tourism addition for the First Coast. The race included a 2.4-mile swim in the St. Johns River, a 112-mile, two-loop bike course that ran from downtown out Kings Road and into Nassau County, and a three-loop marathon through downtown and Riverside before finishing below the city skyline. Jacksonville Today reported ahead of the race that more than 1,900 competitors were expected, and the event offered qualifying slots for the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.

Full-distance races require miles of road closures and lane restrictions enforced by law enforcement, which is why the sheriff's office had officers posted along the route. The run course through Riverside, one of the city's most densely populated older neighborhoods, put athletes and spectators in close quarters with the surrounding streets, where the chase took place.

What's next

With the guilty plea, Simon's criminal case in Duval County is resolved, and he will be transferred to the custody of the Florida Department of Corrections to serve the remainder of his prison term, minus the 157 days of credit. After his release, he will serve five years of probation and remain barred from driving until his 10-year license suspension ends. The plea agreement means no trial will be held over the race-day chase.