Man accused of eighth DWI and beating a woman while driving in Farmington

• Darrell Simpson, 40, is accused of driving while intoxicated and battering a female occupant of the vehicle on the afternoon of Sept. 26 in Farmington, according to the probable cause statement.
• Simpson refused the sobriety and breathalyzer test then was arrested.
• His preliminary hearing is set for the morning of Oct. 7 in Farmington Magistrate Court.

FARMINGTON — A San Juan County man is accused of his eighth DWI charge after he was arrested over the weekend for allegedly driving drunk while battering a woman.

Darrell Simpson, 40, is accused of driving while intoxicated and battering a female occupant of the vehicle he was driving on the afternoon of Sept. 26 in Farmington, according to the probable cause statement.  

He is charged with a second-degree felony count of aggravated DWI, a third-degree felony count of battery on a household member (fourth or subsequent) and a petty misdemeanor count of driving while his license was suspended, according to the criminal complaint.

Simpson did not have legal representation on the morning of Sept. 29.

A Farmington Police Department officer was dispatched around 2:38 p.m. on Sept. 26 to the 200 block of West Animas Street on reports that a male driver struck a woman in the face while he was driving eastbound on Broadway Boulevard.

A witness told police he saw a man, later identified as Simpson, hit a woman while he was driving an SUV. The officer conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle at the Motel 6 at 1600 Bloomfield Blvd.

His passenger was found in a stairwell at the motel. She had a swollen left eye with red marks around it. She stated Simpson slapped her at least twice in the face with the back of one of his hands.

The woman told the officer the incident happened so quickly, she lost count of how many times she was hit.

Simpson allegedly became agitated when asked to perform a sobriety test. He refused the sobriety and breathalyzer test, then was arrested. The officer observed he had bloodshot and watery eyes.

An empty shooter of an alcoholic beverage called 99 Bananas was found in the vehicle, according to a court document. Simpson allegedly had at least two shots of alcohol during the day.

A warrant to obtain a blood sample from Simpson was approved and executed before he was booked to the San Juan County Adult Detention Center.

Simpson was convicted of his seventh DWI on April 13, 2015, according to court documents.

He was released from the county jail on Sept. 28. His preliminary hearing is set for the morning of Oct. 7 in Farmington Magistrate Court.

Joshua Kellogg covers breaking news for The Daily Times. He can be reached at 505-564-4627 or via email at jkellogg@daily-times.com.

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