UPDATED 7/16, 10:11 p.m. ET: Per TMZ, police has arrested a man in connection with the death of Fauja Singh earlier this week. The outlet noted that Amritpal Singh Dhillon was taken into custody on Tuesday after he reportedly confessed to being responsible for Singh's death.
A local journalist, Gagandeep Singh, reported that Dhillon told police he was speeding and panicked after hitting Fauja Singh in a crosswalk. He fled the scene, but authorities later seized the vehicle involved.
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Fauja Singh, who's widely believed to be the world's oldest marathon runner, has died after being struck by a car in a hit-and-run accident.
According to AP News by way of local news in India, the Indian-born runner, affectionately known as the "Turbaned Torpedo," succumbed to severe head injuries after being hit by a vehicle while crossing the street in his native village near Jalandhar, Punjab, on Monday. His death was confirmed by Sikhs In The City, his London-based running club and charity.
Singh made history in 2011 when he became the oldest man believed to run a full marathon, completing the Toronto Waterfront Marathon at the age of 100. Though the Guinness World Records did not recognize the achievement due to the absence of a birth certificate, his British passport listed his day of birth as April 1, 1911.
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi honored Singh with a message claiming the man was "extraordinary because of his unique persona and the manner in which he inspired the youth of India on a very important topic of fitness."
Singh began running at the age of 89 as a way to cope with depression after the tragic death of his son, who was killed in a freak accident on the family's farm. Singh eventually moved to London to live with his youngest son, where he discovered the Sikh running community and found new purpose in long-distance running after seeing a marathon on TV.
Over the next decade, Singh completed nine marathons, with a personal best of 5 hours and 40 minutes in Toronto in 2003. He retired from competitive racing in 2013 after completing a 10K in Hong Kong at age 101.