Driver Reached Speeds Over 100 MPH Before Fatal Hit-And-Run In Manhattan Beach: Report

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — A driver accused in a deadly hit-and-run hit speeds of more than 100 miles per hour before the late-night Manhattan Beach crash in January, prosecutors argued during a preliminary hearing earlier this month, Southern California News Group reported.

A Torrance Superior Court judge ordered Kameron Lee Peterson, 33, to stand trial to face charges “of second-degree murder, hit-and-run driving causing death or serious injury and reckless driving with injuries, Deputy District Attorney Geoff Lewin said," the news outlet reported.

Peterson’s attorney requested the murder charge be dismissed, but Judge Thomas R. Sokolov denied it, Southern California News Group reported.

Manhattan Beach police said officers responded to a report of a hit-and-run involving two cars near the 300 block of Sepulveda Boulevard shortly before 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 7.

When officers arrived, police said they found several people hurt in the crash but could not find the involved driver, Peterson.

Three people were taken to a nearby hospital, where one died, police said.

At the time, police put a call out to the public, asking for help in finding Peterson.

Two days after the crash, Peterson turned himself in and was booked into jail on multiple felony counts, including murder, hit-and-run causing death or serious injury and reckless driving, according to police.

Peterson’s car was traveling 83 mph when it crashed into a car making a left turn into a Taco Bell parking lot, according to testimony, Southern California News Group reported.

The passenger who died in the crash was identified as Ford Savela, the news outlet reported.

“At just 18 years old and a senior at Mira Costa High School, he always had a smile on his face and a knack for making people laugh with his silly and joyful ways,” loved ones wrote in a GoFundMe.

Manhattan Beach Unified School District Superintendent John Bowes called Savela's death a "senseless loss" in a letter to parents, Manhattan Beach News reported in January.

"Ford was an exceptional student and a cherished member of our community ... His empathy, insight, and passion for uplifting his peers left a lasting impact on all who knew him," Bowes said, the news outlet reported.

Peterson, who is being held on $1 million bail, is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 4, jail records show.