Man who purposely drove over, killed teen after fight in Twin Cities park is sentenced to 19 years

A man who intentionally struck and killed a teenage girl with his vehicle after a fight involving numerous people in a Forest Lake park has received a 19-year sentence.

Dylan R. Simmons was sentenced Thursday in Washington County District Court after being convicted by jurors in December of second-degree murder in the commission of criminal vehicular homicide and three counts of second-degree assault in connection with the hit-and-run death of 17-year-old Darisha Bailey Vath of Stacy, Minn., in July 2023.

With credit for time in jail since his arrest, Simmons, 21, of North Branch, Minn., is expected to serve about 12 years in prison and the balance on supervised release.

“Darisha was looking forward to graduating [high school] in the spring of 2024,” read a posting on an online fundraising campaign created by her family to cover expenses related to her death. “Her biggest dream after graduating was to become a veterinarian.”

Following sentencing, County Attorney Kevin Magnuson said in a statement that “Darisha Bailey Vath’s young life was cut tragically short as the result of this murder. Though no sentence can bring Darisha back to her family, we are grateful that this case has concluded with justice for Darisha, her family, and the community.”

Defense attorney Travis Kowitz argued in a court filing ahead of sentencing for a lesser term for his client, citing his remorse among other factors including that Vath was among a group of aggressors who provoked the violence.

“Ms. Bailey Vath and her brother and friends gathered knives, bats and other weapons and left their homes in Forest Lake with the intention of assaulting Mr. Simmons and his friends who were playing hacky sack at Lakeside Park.”

Court records show that Simmons’ driving history includes convictions for underage drinking and driving, speeding, no vehicle registration, no vehicle insurance and driving after suspension.

According to the criminal complaint and a related court document based on witness accounts:

Police officers arrived at the park parking lot around 1:25 a.m. on July 16, 2023, to find Bailey Vath on the ground surrounded by bystanders. One of them was giving CPR to the wounded teenager. Police and emergency medical responders failed to revive Bailey Vath, and she was declared dead at the scene.

People there told police there had just been “physical fights involving two groups of individuals,” the charges read. “Multiple participants had armed themselves with weapons such as a baseball bat, a crowbar and a folding knife.”

Simmons and another person got in a car once the situation calmed down. Someone hit Simmons’ car with a baseball bat, and he claimed he was hit on the arm with a bat.

Simmons then “intentionally drove in the direction of several people from the opposing side of the conflict” and struck the back end of another vehicle that belonged to his rivals and brought Bailey Vath to the park.

Simmons backed up his car and drove toward several people close to the vehicle he hit. He “drove over [Bailey Vath] with both the front and rear passenger side tires” of his car before driving away, the complaint read.

A male in the car with Simmons called someone back at the park being interviewed by a police sergeant, who encouraged the two of them to return to the scene. Upon return, Simmons admitted running over Bailey Vath.