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Daytona Beach man wielding machete, gun, pocketknife arrested after bar fight ends in fatal crash

Oneil S. Edwards, 29, facing charges in connection with Alexander C. Simon death

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A Daytona Beach man was arrested Monday after attempting to stab another man in a bar fight before breaking the man’s car windows and pursuing him on the road, resulting in a fatal crash, police said.

Officers said 29-year-old Oneil S. Edwards is facing multiple charges — including attempted second-degree murder, and battery and criminal mischief — in connection with the death of a 33-year-old Ormond Beach man, identified as Alexander C. Simon, last week.

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Police said they responded to Ocean Deck Restaurant and Beach Club, located at 127 South Ocean Ave., shortly before midnight on July 21 when they discovered Edwards and Simon got into a physical fight involving various weapons, including a firearm, pocketknife and machete.

Video from the restaurant shows Edwards lunging at Simon and attempting to stab him with a pocketknife at least four times. News 6 has listed the full video below, but viewer discretion is advised.

[WATCH VIDEO BELOW]

The suspect then kicked him in the head before the two headed out to the bar’s parking lot, a charging affidavit reads.

Simon got in a truck, and Edwards used the butt of a gun to break the truck’s front passenger window, attempting to fire the gun before it malfunctioned, officers said.

According to police, Edwards then ran back to his car to grab a machete and used that to break Simon’s front driver’s side window right as the victim drove off, heading south on South Atlantic Avenue/State Road A1A.

Edwards followed the victim along A1A until Simon lost control of the truck near the Silver Beach Avenue intersection, rolling southeast and striking a concrete pole before landing in the northbound lanes of that same road, officers said.

Simon died at the scene, according to investigators.

Edwards was arrested on probable cause and will be booked into Volusia County jail Monday night.

The traffic investigation is ongoing, and additional charges against Edwards are pending, police said.

Check back here for updates.

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