‘He took the most precious gift.’ Visalia man who killed boy, 8, in crash enters plea
The BMW driver who crashed into a family’s sedan, killing their 8-year-old son, pleaded no contest Thursday to vehicular manslaughter and driving on a suspended license.
Karmjit Singh, 35, of Visalia, faces a maximum of six years and six months in prison. He will be sentenced on July 21 in Judge Jon Kapetan’s courtroom.
Singh’s plea comes nearly a year and a half after the crash that took the life of 8-year-old Maverick Martzen, a sports-loving boy and only child of Scott and Megan Martzen of Selma.
In a statement, the Martzen’s thanked Deputy District attorney Ryan Wells, their private attorney Jeffrey Hammerschmidt and all those who supported their family.
“Our hearts are truly broken over the loss of our child Maverick. No amount of time Karmjit Singh will serve will feel like justice, no amount of time he will serve will bring our child back. He took the most precious gift we had ever been given. Our child will never be forgotten and we strive to continue to keep Maverick’s legacy alive.”
Police said the crash happened on Feb. 23 at about 10 p.m. in the intersection of Bethel and Rose Avenues near Selma. The Martzen family was on their way home from a birthday party in Fresno when Singh, traveling at a high rate of speed, blew through a stop sign smashing into the Martzen’s Kia Optima.
During Singh’s preliminary hearing, Scott Martzen recalled seeing headlights in the corner of his eye as he approached the intersection. The car was coming fast. Within seconds, Martzen swerved left, but it was too late.
“I felt an impact on the right side and then I blacked out,” he said during the preliminary hearing in October. “I woke up and remember people pulling us out of the car.”
Maverick, who was in the right rear passenger seat, was revived by firefighters and rushed to Selma Hospital where staff found a pulse. He was then airlifted to Valley Children’s Hospital, where he later died.
His parents were taken to Selma Hospital with broken bones.
Singh was already on probation for a DUI when the deadly crash happened.
Although he was initially charged with murder and DUI those charges were later dropped after a blood test showed Singh’s blood alcohol concentration at .017, well below the legal limit of .08.
This story was originally published May 28, 2020 at 3:02 PM.
