BikinginLA

According to cyclist/attorney Dj Wheels, Satnam Singh will be arraigned today for the alleged triple hit-and-run rampage on Telegraph Road in Ventura.

Singh’s drive home from work Wednesday evening left five people injured, starting with a mother and daughter riding their bikes single file in the bike lane, followed by a family stopped at a red light in their pickup. And ended, tragically, with the death of 20-year old Ventura College student Nick Haverland as he road his bike to take his final exams.

And yes, I’m resisting the urge to call it murder. Just barely.

Let alone what I think about someone who could do this.

It is possible that Singh was so drunk he had no idea what he was doing. But I’m waiting to see what his blood alcohol level was at the time of his arrest; speaking strictly for myself, I’d consider anything less than .20 to be proof of intent.

If you’re in the Ventura area today, I’d strongly suggest attending the arraignment if you can. A room full of cyclists would go a long way towards showing just how seriously we take this case.

Wheels reports the hearing will take place in Room 13 of the Ventura County Superior Court, 800 South Victoria in Ventura. If you can make there, I’ll be happy to share whatever thoughts or impressions you may have.

Meanwhile, thanks to the Ventura County Star for their moving profile of Haverland; I’ve complained many times that press coverage too often reports the barest facts following a collision, without ever giving a hint of the human being behind the story.

The Star makes it very clear just who he was.

And that his death was a loss, not just for his family and friends, but for all of us.