The man who prosecutors say shot another driver in a road rage incident on the bypass Sunday night is a competitive drag racer who had been driving home from a race when it happened.
St. Joseph County prosecutors say 48-year-old Kenneth Satterlee of Georgia, who goes by Kenny Satterlee in the racing world, was returning from a weekend of racing drag motorcycles at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan. He had reached a top speed of 114 miles per hour there and he won a race.
Candelario Fernandez of Elkhart told police he had been driving home from Silver Beach in St. Joe when Satterlee refused to move over and let him onto the highway. Satterlee told police he couldn’t move over right away because there were vehicles in the passing lane and he was pulling a 28-foot trailer.
The men yelled obscenities and flipped each other off, even pulling over at one point before getting back in their cars and driving off again.
But near the St. Joe Valley Parkway exit at Brick Road, witnesses said Satterlee fired a gun at Fernandez as Fernandez passed him. Satterlee quickly exited and pulled into the Pilot truck stop at Cleveland Road.
When police found him at the truck stop, they say he had moved his gun to the locked trailer.
Satterlee’s passenger told police he fired at least five shots.
Fernandez had a gunshot wound to his right shoulder and another bullet grazed his back. He drove another 13 miles before pulling over near the Ironwood exit, where he was taken to Memorial Hospital. His injuries weren’t life-threatening.
Satterlee remained held without bond Wednesday in the St. Joe County Jail, awaiting an initial hearing. Prosecutors have charged him with aggravated battery with the risk of causing death, a Level 3 felony, and Level 5 felonies of battery resulting in serious bodily injury and battery with a deadly weapon. Prosecutors have asked for a bond of at least $10,000 cash.
