A driver pulled into the cycling course of the inaugural IRONMAN Jacksonville Triathlon on Saturday afternoon and began moving toward a line of competitors. He was drunk, according to police. By the time officers stopped his vehicle, body cams had captured several near-misses the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said could easily have produced a fatality.
The driver refused to stop when officers along the route tried to wave him off. Instead, he continued toward Riverside Park, one of the more crowded stretches of the route, with DUI and traffic units in pursuit. No athletes or spectators on the route were injured.
What ended the driver’s route was a move from a DUI officer who was able to be in a position to act. That moment was caught on camera as well.
The driver was booked on a long list of charges and a six-figure bond. His arrest record turned out not to be his first encounter with DUI enforcement.
What Happened on the Course
The incident occurred around 4:30 p.m. on May 16 in the Five Points neighborhood, during the cycling portion of the race. Officers along the route spotted a vehicle driving recklessly into the athletes’ lane and ordered the driver to stop. He kept going.
As DUI and traffic units pursued, body cameras recorded the car weaving toward people on the course several times as it continued in the direction of Riverside Park.
How It Came to an End
The pursuit was ended by a PIT maneuver executed by JSO DUI Officer Ernesto Valerio. A PIT maneuver, or Precision Immobilization Technique, is when an officer nudges the rear of the vehicle to force it into a controlled spin and then to a halt.
Once the car was stopped, officers took the driver into custody. The suspect also appeared to have struck and damaged another driver’s vehicle on Riverside Park Place during the incident.
The Driver and His Cares
Police identified the driver as 62-year-old Darrell Simon, aJacksonville native. He was booked on eight felony counts and nearly a dozen misdemeanors and traffic violations.
His bond exceeded $215,000 as of Monday, and court records show he’s currently scheduled for arraignment in early June. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said the case is Simon’s third DUI in the past 10 years.
Luckily, none of the cyclists were injured, though their property was otherwise damaged.