Simon Sherrill was on his way home from work Tuesday night when an allegedly drunk and gun-toting convicted felon crashed into the back of his Jeep on U.S. 1 in Key Largo, ending a five-mile chase with authorities who discovered he was wanted in another state.

"I was southbound on U.S. 1 just trying to get the hell out of the way," Sherrill said Wednesday. "I was trying to move over to the right-hand side when he hit me. There was a ton of cars following him — a mess of patrolmen, deputies and troopers."

Joseph Paul Jones Jr., 40, was charged with DUI, reckless driving, fleeing/eluding police, carrying a concealed weapon, five counts of assault with intent to commit a felony, and possession of marijuana, narcotic equipment and a weapon or ammunition by a felon.

Jones was being chased by Florida Highway Patrol troopers and Monroe County sheriff's deputies after they learned he had an outstanding arrest warrant alleging robbery and theft out of Missouri, said Lt. Pat Santangelo, spokesman for the Highway Patrol.

The encounter began when an off-duty Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office deputy who was in the Keys for vacation spotted Jones and approached a trooper who was making a traffic stop, said Highway Patrol Sgt. Joe Mosca.

The Hillsborough deputy pulled up to the trooper, identified himself, and asked the trooper to stop Jones, Mosca said.

Troopers say Jones refused to stop on northbound U.S. 1 near Mile Marker 99 about 5:30 p.m. Instead, he turned into a Publix grocery store parking lot and allegedly tried to hit two patrol cars, a deputy's and a trooper's, reports say.

Jones made a U-turn and proceeded south, reports say. Speeds reached about 65 mph, Mosca said. Troopers laid out spike strips at Mile Marker 104, which deflated the right front tire of his 1993 Buick, reports say. Jones drove about another 2.5 miles until he hit Sherrill at a stoplight at Atlantic Boulevard, reports say.

No one was seriously hurt in the incident, but Sherrill said he has a sore neck and back from the wreck.

"I'm pretty banged up and I have to go to my physician to get checked out," Sherrill said. "I might need to see if I have a herniated disk."

Troopers allegedly found a loaded 9 mm handgun on the driver's side floorboard, along with marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

A passenger in Jones' vehicle was not charged, Mosca said. Jones is being held at a Monroe County jail in lieu of $100,000 bond, but has a hold for Missouri, where he was released from prison on Feb. 19, according to prison records. He has been in and out of the Missouri Department of Corrections since May 2002, mostly for burglary, receiving stolen property and possession of burglary tools, records show.

Jones apparently had been staying in a Key Largo motel and the only identification he had was a Missouri Department of Corrections prison ID, sheriff's spokeswoman Becky Herrin said.

alinhardt@keysnews.com