Santa Paula business owner facing murder charge in Ventura hit-and-run
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
Published: June 17, 2011
A Santa Paula business owner is now facing a murder charge in addition to others connected with the hit-and-run death of a bicyclist last month in Ventura.
On Tuesday, June 14, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office added a murder charge to the those already faced by Satnam Singh, a 49-year-old Ventura resident who is the co-owner of a Santa Paula area neighborhood market.
Singh is accused of mowing down 20-year-old Nick Haverland, a bicyclist who was riding on Telegraph Road in Ventura on May 11 on his way to Ventura College. Singh was arrested outside his home less than a mile from where his Hummer fatally struck Haverland.
It was the third accident Singh is accused of fleeing from that evening. According to Ventura Police, Singh was driving west on Telegraph Road at La Jolla Street at about 6:50 p.m. when he struck a mother and teenage daughter who were both riding their bicycles. Both suffered broken arms. Singh next struck a pickup truck stopped for a red light near Petit Avenue, causing minor injuries to the family of three in the vehicle.
Singh then struck Haverland, who was riding on the wide and straight road in the bicycle lane with a friend. Haverland died at the scene from multiple blunt force injuries.
After striking Haverland Singh then drove to his Ventura home, followed by a driver who witnessed the crash. Once Singh was parked in the driveway of his home in the 100 block of Kennedy Avenue, officers arrived and were finally able to remove him from the heavily damaged vehicle.
Last month in court Singh pleaded not guilty to one count of gross vehicle manslaughter while intoxicated with the special allegation of being involved in hit and run causing death, DUI causing injury with two special allegations of causing great bodily injury because there were two victims who were injured, and another hit and run felony.
Singh pleaded not guilty to the new murder charge. He remains in jail on $500,000 bail, and is due to make another court appearance on August 8.
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