A Superior Court judge ruled on Friday morning at the Somerset County Courthouse, NJ, that an 18-year-old Belle Mead resident must remain in custody while awaiting trial on vehicular homicide charges, rejecting defense arguments that a mental health episode led to the fatal July crash that claimed the life of a local woman.

Siddartha Surapanani, an 18-year-old Belle Mead, NJ, resident charged with vehicular homicide and fleeing the scene on foot, is a biology major in Seton Hall University's joint B.S./M.D. program, according to his LinkedIn page. The victim, Deepa Sripathy, 44, of Bridgewater, was pronounced dead at the scene. She was a married mother of two, according to her obituary.