8 years in prison: Jacksonville woman sentenced in 2019 road rage chase and death
A 25-year-old Jacksonville woman will spend eight years in prison after a road rage chase from Mandarin to Jacksonville's Westside left a 60-year-old driver dead, according to Duval County court records.
Ana Valeska Jimenez pleaded guilty Monday to vehicular homicide in the 2019 chase and crash, while a charge of second-degree murder and eight more of reckless driving were dismissed, court records show.
Along with the prison term, Jimenez will have seven years of probation and a five-year ban on driving after her release. Her sentence also includes 200 hours of community service, random tests for drugs or alcohol and mandatory advanced driving school after the ban, according to the court.
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Here's what happened on April 11, 2019
The road rage began about 4 pm. on April 11, 2019, in the 10000 block of San Jose Boulevard. Jimenez's Honda Civic was rear-ended by a Chevrolet Suburban driven by James David Robinson, and she followed him as he drove off, the Florida Highway Patrol reported.
Robinson had a second crash with another vehicle near Interstate 295. Jimenez then called 911 as she chased his SUV, despite instructions from Sheriff’s Office and fire department dispatchers to pull over and wait for first responders, the Highway Patrol said.
Continuing to drive recklessly, her actions were "imminently dangerous to another without regard for human life," the Highway Patrol said.
As Robinson drove across the Buckman Bridge, Jimenez weaved in and out of traffic behind him at a high rate of speed, Sgt. Dylan Bryan said at the time. Both vehicles exited onto Roosevelt Boulevard, hitting each other several times.
Robinson ended up driving through the median, hitting a pickup truck in the oncoming lane before flipping and impacting two more SUVs before his vehicle ended up on its side, the Highway Patrol said. Two more vehicles were damaged in the multi-car wreck as Robinson was declared dead at the scene.
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Jimenez had a July 2019 arrest on two counts of battery in St. Johns County, according to jail records there.
Court records show that Robinson’s driving record included three convictions for driving with a suspended or revoked license, making him a habitual traffic offender.
dscanlan@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4549
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville woman pleads guilty to road rage death, sentenced 8 years
