New Details on Farmer's Market Hit-and-Run Sunday

Ganesh Mahalingam, a 38-year-old Monrovia resident, will be arraigned Tuesday in Pasadena for allegedly hitting resident Dave Gayman, 63, with his car and running over Gayman’s leg at the Monrovia Farmer’s Market on Sunday.

Gayman was hospitalized after the incident and suffered a broken right ankle, according to Tom Adams, a friend of Gayman’s. “Dave was in a lot of pain last night,” said Adams in an email. Gayman is seeing an orthopedist today who will determine whether or not he needs surgery, according to Adams. The injury “will most definitely require a cast,” said Adams.

Witnesses told police that they saw Gayman fly into the air above Mahalingam’s vehicle and land on the ground approximately 4 feet away, said Watch Sgt. Dan Verna of the Mahalingam allegedly continued to accelerate and ran over Gayman’s leg, said Sgt. Verna.

Before the incident, according to police, Gayman told Mahalingam that he had to turn around and use another route because the road was blocked off due to the Farmer’s Market.

Mahalingam said, “I don’t have to, I can do whatever I want” and “I live this way,” according to police. Then, according to witnesses, Mahalingam became angry and aimed his car toward Gayman, accelerated and hit him.

“It’s unfortunate, … sounds like it was a road rage type deal,” said Sgt. Verna. “[Mahalingam] didn’t want to follow the signs, and he wanted to do what he wanted to do.”

Mahalingam was reportedly the only person in his vehicle.

Mahalingam continued driving east on Lime Ave. and north on Myrtle Ave., and was followed by another witness into a parking lot. The witness called police and Mahalingam was arrested on suspicion of felony hit and run. After police interviewed additional witnesses, they changed the reason for arrest to assault with a deadly weapon.

Mahalingam spent Sunday night in the Monrovia jail and will remain there until Tuesday morning, when he will be arraigned in Pasadena. Official charges are pending the results of police investigation.

Police are still interviewing witnesses and working on the case.