Florida man upset with his mom over money plows into 74-year-old victim because he was ‘just there’: HCSO

The Brief

• A Florida man is facing attempted murder charges after deputies say he ran into the woods after slamming into a man who was sitting in a chair near a Brooksville intersection.

• According to HCSO, Quaze Lavarn Simmons initially told detectives he lost control of the vehicle and ran in fear of his mother's reaction to the crash, but later told investigators that the act was intentional after he was confronted with video evidence.

• Simmons was arrested and charged with attempted murder.

BROOKSVILLE, Fla. - A Florida man is facing attempted murder charges after deputies say he ran into the woods after slamming into a man who was sitting in a chair near a Brooksville intersection.

The backstory

According to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, Quaze Lavarn Simmons drove into a 74-year-old man sitting in a chair near the intersection of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Josephine Street in South Brooksville shortly before 10:45 a.m. on Sunday.

The victim sustained severe injuries to both legs and head trauma.

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Deputies found Simmons’ vehicle, a gold Toyota Corolla LE parked on the sidewalk of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

When deputies tracked down the registered owner of the suspect's vehicle, she told them that her son often drove her vehicle.

After searching the immediate area, deputies saw Simmons walking out of the woods south of the incident. Simmons appeared wet, covered in dirt and debris, and was detained without incident.

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While he was being detained, deputies said Simmons spontaneously stated he was "scared."

Dig deeper

According to HCSO, Simmons initially told detectives he lost control of the vehicle and ran in fear of his mother's reaction to the crash.

However, video surveillance obtained in the area revealed Simmons accelerated across traffic lanes directly toward the victim.

Investigators said at no time were the vehicle's brake lights observed, nor was there any evidence of the driver losing control.

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After being confronted with the evidence, Simmons told investigators that the act was intentional.

He told detectives he had been upset after an argument with his mother over money and chose to strike the victim because he was "just there."

Simmons was arrested and charged with attempted murder.

The Source

This story was written with information provided by the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.