Overview
- A 62-year-old man later identified as Darrell Simon drove onto the coned-off run course during the inaugural IRONMAN Jacksonville race and repeatedly endangered athletes and spectators on May 16.
- Specialized Traffic Unit officers pursued the car through Riverside and Five Points, and Officer Ernesto Valerio ended the chase with a PIT maneuver at Riverside Park Place and Park Street.
- The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office released dashcam video that shows multiple failed stop attempts, a motorcycle officer trying to block the vehicle, a collision with an officer, and radio audio saying, “We got to stop this guy. He’s going to kill someone.”
- Simon was booked on eight felony charges plus nearly a dozen misdemeanors and violations, officials say this was his third DUI arrest in 10 years, and jail records reported he is being held pretrial on a reported $215,042 bond with a court date set for June 16.
- No injuries were reported and the sheriff’s office praised officers for averting a tragedy, while authorities continue to investigate how the driver bypassed race barricades and what security changes the event may need.