Indian Immigrant Trucker in US, High on Drugs, Kills 3 After Ramming into Traffic
An Indian-origin truck driver, who reportedly entered the United States illegally, has been arrested in Ontario, California, after a catastrophic multi-vehicle collision that left three people dead and at least four others injured. The accused, 21-year-old Jashanpreet Singh of Yuba City, was allegedly driving under the influence of drugs and failed to brake before his tractor-trailer plowed into slow-moving traffic.The crash occurred on a Tuesday afternoon just east of the I-15 Freeway.
According to a report by ABC7, Singh’s freight liner rear-ended an SUV, triggering a chain-reaction crash that ultimately involved eight vehicles, including four commercial trucks. Dashcam footage reportedly captured the initial devastating impact. Police stated that Singh never applied the brakes before slamming into the traffic jam, and toxicology tests later confirmed he was impaired. CBS News reported that the collision resulted in three fatalities and four hospitalizations.Law enforcement sources, as cited by Fox News, confirmed that Singh is an Indian national who entered the US illegally. He was reportedly encountered by the US Border Patrol in the El Centro sector of California in March 2022 and was released into the country pending an immigration hearing.
Singh was arrested on charges including vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of drugs. He is being held without bail in San Bernardino County, with his next court appearance scheduled for Thursday. The California Highway Patrol is still investigating whether he possessed a valid commercial driver’s license at the time of the incident.This tragic event follows a similar incident in August, when Harjinder Singh, another undocumented immigrant from India, killed three people while attempting an illegal U-turn on the Florida Turnpike. Authorities revealed that Harjinder Singh had obtained a commercial driver’s license from California despite his illegal status.
In response to such incidents, the US government temporarily halted the issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers in August. A State Department spokesperson told CBS News the pause was for a “comprehensive and thorough review” of vetting procedures. “As we have seen with recent deadly accidents, foreign truckers can pose risks to American lives, US national security, and foreign policy interests,” the spokesperson stated. The state of Florida has also filed a lawsuit against California and Washington, alleging their failure to comply with federal requirements for issuing commercial driver’s licenses.
