High on drugs, Indian trucker, an illegal immigrant, kills 3 in US freeway crash
YUBA CITY, Calif. — An Indian-origin truck driver has been arrested following a deadly collision in Ontario, California, that killed three people and injured at least four others. The accused, 21-year-old Jashanpreet Singh, reportedly entered the United States illegally in 2022. Authorities note that this incident comes months after another deadly crash involving an undocumented immigrant from Punjab.
According to ABC7, the crash occurred Tuesday afternoon just east of the I-15 freeway junction. Singh’s freight liner tractor-trailer reportedly rear-ended an SUV in slow-moving traffic and then struck multiple other vehicles in the same lane. Dashcam footage captured the initial impact.
Singh of Yuba City, California, was taken into custody on charges including driving under the influence of drugs and vehicular manslaughter. Police told Fox News that toxicology tests confirmed Singh was impaired and that he never attempted to brake before colliding with the traffic.
Federal law-enforcement sources confirmed that Singh was encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol in California’s El Centro sector in March 2022 and released into the interior of the country pending an immigration hearing.
CBS News reports that eight vehicles, including four commercial trucks, were involved in the crash. Three people were killed, and four others were hospitalized. Singh remains in custody in San Bernardino County without bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday at Rancho Superior Court in Rancho Cucamonga.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is investigating whether Singh held a valid commercial driver’s license at the time of the crash.
Federal Review of Commercial Driver Visas Underway
In August, the U.S. government temporarily suspended the issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers. A State Department spokesperson said the pause would allow for “a comprehensive and thorough review” of the screening and vetting processes used to assess visa applicants.
The spokesperson added, “As we have seen with recent deadly accidents, foreign truckers can pose risks to American lives, U.S. national security, and foreign policy interests,” CBS reported.
The August crash cited by authorities involved Harjinder Singh, an undocumented immigrant from India, who caused a deadly crash on the Florida Turnpike in St. Lucie County while attempting an illegal U-turn, killing three people. Singh had obtained a commercial driver’s license from California despite his immigration status, according to the U.S. Marshals.
Florida has since filed a lawsuit against California and Washington, alleging that the states failed to comply with federal safety and immigration requirements when issuing commercial driver’s licenses.
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