Mishawaka man charged with hit-and-run crash that killed teen bicyclist
MISHAWAKA—Robert Blankenship, 49, of Mishawaka was charged after a fatal hit-and-run resulted in the death of bicyclist Varinder Singh, 19.
Mishawaka police officers were dispatched to the 1100 block of East 12th Street on Feb. 13 after reports of a man bleeding from his head and possibly in cardiac arrest, according to court documents in the St. Joseph Superior Court.
An officer found a man on the north side of the road, later identified as Singh, who was not moving or breathing. Singh died at the scene of the crash. Police reported finding a shoe and bicycle seat in the middle of the road, with the bicycle and other debris on the other side of the road, 40 to 50 feet away from the victim.
A coworker of Singh's at the nearby Marathon gas station told police Singh left the store around 6:03 a.m. to go home. Police say surveillance video from a nearby business showed a westbound SUV strike Singh and drive away. Police reported finding debris from the vehicle, including broken car parts, a broken headlight and a broken Chevrolet emblem at the crash site. Surveillance video from a traffic camera showed the hood of the SUV buckled with damage on the passenger side, police said.
On Feb. 14, dispatch received an anonymous tip regarding Blankenship's vehicle, and police went to his home. There, officers identified a 2002 Chevrolet Suburban with a missing front emblem, damage to the passenger side, a buckled hood and missing pieces of a headlight.
Officers made contact with Blankenship's mother, who said the Chevrolet belonged to her son. Police claim that Blankenship came outside to the porch and asked, "He didn't die, did he?" before officers had told him the crash involved a person.
Blakenship was then taken to the Mishawaka Police Department, where he allegedly stated he understood his Miranda rights and signed a waver form.
Police claim Blankenship admitted to knowing he hit something while driving on East 12th Street but claimed not to know what he hit because his window was fogging up from the inside and frosted from overnight. Police say Blankenship blamed the crash on his effort to clear the frost from his windshield. He allegedly told police he knew he should have stopped and had been afraid he might have hit a person. Police claim he said he hoped it was in just in his dreams.
St. Joseph County prosecutors charged Blankenship on Feb. 15 with one count of Leaving the Scene of an Accident Resulting in Death to Another Person, a Level 4 Felony, which can range from two to 12 years behind bars if convicted.
Prosecutors asked the court to consider Blankenship's history of failing to appear in court on multiple occasions on accusations he was driving on a suspended license and a prior charge accusing him of fleeing an accident scene.
The judge ordered Blankenship be held without bond until his initial bail hearing set for Feb. 16.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Mishawaka man charged in hit-and-run crash that killed teen bicyclist
