A 21-year-old Indian national, identified as Jashanpreet Singh, has been arrested in connection with a devastating truck crash in Southern California that killed three people and left several others injured. According to local law enforcement, Singh was under the influence of drugs when his semi-truck rammed into slow-moving traffic on a San Bernardino County freeway earlier this week.
Dashcam footage from the Freightliner truck showed Singh failing to brake before the impact, leading to a fiery collision that engulfed multiple vehicles. Among the deceased were three occupants of an SUV struck directly by the truck, while the injured included Singh himself and a roadside mechanic who was assisting another vehicle.
Authorities confirm drug impairment
California Highway Patrol (CHP) officials said that toxicology tests confirmed Singh was impaired at the time of the crash. "He was transported to the hospital and evaluated by medical staff, after which officers determined he was driving under the influence of drugs," said CHP Officer Rodrigo Jimenez, in a statement to ABC7 News.
Singh now faces multiple felony charges, including gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and could face additional charges pending the investigation’s outcome.
Immigration background and border release
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has confirmed that Singh does not have a lawful immigration status in the country. Reports indicate that he illegally crossed the southern border in early 2022 through the El Centro Sector in California. After being detained by the US Border Patrol, Singh was released under the Biden administration’s “alternatives to detention” policy- a program allowing migrants to stay in the US while awaiting immigration hearings.
Following his arrest, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has lodged an immigration detainer against Singh to take custody once criminal proceedings conclude.
Pattern of deadly crashes involving illegal drivers
This tragic incident adds to growing concerns over illegal immigrants operating commercial vehicles in the United States. In a similar case in August, another Indian national, Harjinder Singh, who reportedly entered the US illegally in 2018, was accused of causing a fatal crash in Fort Pierce, Florida, that also killed three people. He had obtained a commercial driver’s license in California despite his immigration status.
Calls for stricter oversight
The latest crash has renewed debate over immigration enforcement and oversight of trucking licenses issued to non-citizens. Authorities and public safety advocates are urging stricter background checks and closer monitoring of commercial driving credentials to prevent similar tragedies on American roads.
