In a chilling turn of events, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man on charges of attempted murder after he allegedly used his vehicle to intentionally strike a 74-year-old individual in South Brooksville. The incident took place near the intersection of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Josephine Street, according to a recent report by the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.
The arrest followed a 911 call made on Sunday at approximately 10:42 a.m., reporting that the suspect had hit the victim and then fled into neighboring woods. Deputies arrived to find a gold Toyota Corolla LE left abandoned on the sidewalk at the scene, shortly after they apprehended Quaze Lavarn Simmons, the alleged assailant, who emerged from the woods south of where the incident occurred, looking wet and covered in dirt and debris.
The victim, whose identity has not been shared, was airlifted to a trauma hospital due to severe injuries to both legs and substantial head trauma. The investigation led authorities to Simmons, born January 20, 1989, by tracing the vehicle's registration, which the owner confirmed is often driven by her son. Initially claiming that he had lost control of the vehicle, Simmons later recanted his story when faced with video surveillance that, "revealed Simmons accelerated across traffic lanes directly toward the victim," and showed no signs of the vehicle’s brakes being engaged or of the driver losing control.
Confronted with this evidence, Simmons stated the act was intentional, citing a prior argument with his mother over money, and indicating his choice to strike the victim because he was "just there" according to the official statement by the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office.
