Nick Haverland (Family photo) |
VENTURA (KTLA) -- A suspect drunk driver is accused of hitting three bicyclists, killing one of them, and then just driving away.
Authorities have identified the suspect as 49-year-old Satnam Singh, who was driving a Hummer.
He was involved in three accidents along Telegraph Road Thursday night, but failed to stop in each case, officials said.
In the first, he struck two bicyclists -- a mother and her 13-year-old daughter, according to police. They suffered moderate injuries, including broken bones, police said.
The suspect continued westbound on Telegraph and hit a pickup truck stopped at a red light at Petit Avenue.
A family of three was inside the car. They sustained only minor injuries, police said.
Singh continued driving and struck a third bicyclist near Telegraph Road and Mara Avenue.
The victim, 20-year-old Nick Haverland, was killed.
Haverland was said to have been riding his bicycle to go take a final exam for college.
Witness Nancy Crawford tried to help Haverland but realized there was nothing she could do.
"I was in shock and I kept looking at the young man to see if he was breathing but he wasn't breathing," she said.
"The impact was so so hard that it had to have taken him instantly."
A witness started following the Hummer and called 911.
Police met the suspect as he arrived at his home in the 100 block of Kennedy Avenue.
Singh initially refused to get out of his vehicle, police said.
Officers opened a rear hatch and sent a dog inside.
They were finally able to pull Singh out of the car and take him into custody.
Singh was booked on felony drunk driving, hit and run and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, officials said.
Nick Haverland's family released a statement on Thursday, saying that he was "a loving, generous young man with a joyful smile and a giving spirit."
He was a full-time student at Ventura College, and was also taking a class at Moorpark College, his family said.
He had been accepted into the University of HawaiiÂ’s Ethnobotany program.
Authorities have identified the suspect as 49-year-old Satnam Singh, who was driving a Hummer.
He was involved in three accidents along Telegraph Road Thursday night, but failed to stop in each case, officials said.
In the first, he struck two bicyclists -- a mother and her 13-year-old daughter, according to police. They suffered moderate injuries, including broken bones, police said.
The suspect continued westbound on Telegraph and hit a pickup truck stopped at a red light at Petit Avenue.
A family of three was inside the car. They sustained only minor injuries, police said.
Singh continued driving and struck a third bicyclist near Telegraph Road and Mara Avenue.
The victim, 20-year-old Nick Haverland, was killed.
Haverland was said to have been riding his bicycle to go take a final exam for college.
Witness Nancy Crawford tried to help Haverland but realized there was nothing she could do.
"I was in shock and I kept looking at the young man to see if he was breathing but he wasn't breathing," she said.
"The impact was so so hard that it had to have taken him instantly."
A witness started following the Hummer and called 911.
Police met the suspect as he arrived at his home in the 100 block of Kennedy Avenue.
Singh initially refused to get out of his vehicle, police said.
Officers opened a rear hatch and sent a dog inside.
They were finally able to pull Singh out of the car and take him into custody.
Singh was booked on felony drunk driving, hit and run and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, officials said.
Nick Haverland's family released a statement on Thursday, saying that he was "a loving, generous young man with a joyful smile and a giving spirit."
He was a full-time student at Ventura College, and was also taking a class at Moorpark College, his family said.
He had been accepted into the University of HawaiiÂ’s Ethnobotany program.
