North Branch man sentenced to 234 months in prison for running over, killing teen in 2023

A 21-year-old North Branch man was sentenced to almost 20 years in prison last week after being convicted of killing a 17-year-old with his car in Forest Lake in 2023.

In December, Dylan Simmons was found guilty of second-degree murder, criminal vehicular homicide, and three counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon.

He was sentenced to 234 months, or 19 and a half years, on Thursday, March 20.

According to the criminal complaint, Forest Lake Police officers responded to Lakeside Veteran’s Memorial Park after 1 a.m. on July 16, 2023, after a person was reportedly struck by a car.

The victim died at the scene after receiving emergency medical care.

Officers learned that two groups of people had engaged in physical fights at the scene. 

After the conflict de-escalated, two people reportedly got into a Mazda sedan. The driver was said to be Simmons.

The complaint said that Simmons intentionally drove at a group of people. After he backed up and drove at them a second time, Simmons reportedly struck the victim and drove over her with both the vehicle’s front and rear tires before fleeing the scene.