A Jacksonville man was arrested Saturday after police say he nearly hit participants in the inaugural Jacksonville Ironman event multiple times while driving drunk.<\/p>\n
Darrell Simon, 62, remained in jail on a more than $215,000 bond Monday on eight felony charges and several misdemeanor offenses.<\/p>\n
Officers near the triathlon course in Five Points noticed a car driving recklessly into the path of athletes at around 4:30 p.m. Saturday, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. The driver, identified by police as Simon, reportedly refused to stop, leading to a police pursuit.<\/p>\n
Officers’ cameras caught the driver nearly hitting competitors multiple times as he sped toward Riverside Park, before he was stopped by a PIT maneuver and arrested. According to the arrest report, the suspect also appears to have hit and damaged another driver’s car on Riverside Park Place.<\/p>\n
The sheriff’s office says this is Simon’s third DUI arrest in the past 10 years. Court records show Simon is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges in early June as of this publication.<\/p>\n
“We understand many people were not fans of the traffic delays on Saturday, but we closed lanes and roads to keep the athletes and spectators safe,” the sheriff’s office wrote. “This incident could\u2019ve led to a tragedy and we\u2019re grateful the officers\u2019 quick actions stopped anyone from possibly getting hurt or killed.”<\/p>\n