Man gets 1 year in jail in 4-year-old crash death

TAMPA -- Maurice Ronald Batts was having a bad day four years ago when he sped down Hillsborough Avenue and slammed into the back of a car that had stopped at a red light.

He had argued with his mother earlier that evening and had gone out for dinner and drinks with a friend to clear his mind.

But his 3 a.m. drive home on Oct. 28, 2003, turned deadly when Batts crashed into the back of Sarabjeet Singh, killing him instantly.

Batts left the scene. Prosecutors said he hid in nearby Al Lopez Park.

This morning, Hillsborough Circuit Judge Debra Behnke sentenced Batts, 26, to one year in the county jail and 10 years of probation.

He faced a maximum of 15 years in prison, which Singh's widow and two adult children asked the judge to give.

Behnke said she gave him a lesser sentence because he appeared genuinely remorseful, was well liked in his community and had something to contribute to society through his work at a dialysis facility.

"I've always believed that we all make mistakes, some worse than others," Behnke said. "It seems that it happened in one day for Mr. Batts. It was a bad day for Mr. Batts, and it was a horrible day for the Singh family."

Defense attorney William Welter asked if Batts could serve his time on house arrest or some other form of alternative confinement that would allow him to continue working to provide for his family.

Behnke said that would be up to the jail. If Batts qualifies, the judge said she won't oppose it.

After being sentenced, court bailiffs took Batts into custody.

At the request of Hamoutie Singh, Sarabjeet Singh's widow, the judge allowed the handcuffs to be removed so that Batts could hug his two small boys and kiss them goodbye.

-Kevin Graham, Times staff writer