Indian-origin Driver Arrested for Killing 3 in Truck Crash in California

Amid the increasing scrutiny for issuing driver licences to non-citizens in the US, an Indian youth, Jashanpreet Singh (21), plowed into multiple vehicles, leading to the death of three and injuring several others in California. Singh has been arrested in Southern California for crashing his 18-wheeler truck into several vehicles.

According to Fox News, Singh was driving the truck under the influence of alcohol. His semi-truck plowed into slow-moving traffic on Interstate 10 in San Bernardino County, killing three and injuring several others. The Dashcam footage showed Singh’s vehicle moving ahead without any brakes, ramming into multiple vehicles.

Toxicology tests confirmed that Singh was under the influence of a substance, when the mishap occurred. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that Singh is an illegal immigrant and that ICE officials lodged a detainer after his arrest.

Singh has been booked under several charges, including gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. In 2022, Singh crossed the US border illegally and was released into the country under Biden administration’s “alternatives to detention” policy pending an immigration hearing.

In August, another Indian national, Harjinder Singh, was also charged for a crash that killed three people. He too entered the US illegally in 2018 and obtained a California commercial licence.

Following the gruesome crash, Transportation secretary Sean Duffy slammed California for failing to enforce federal English proficiency requirements for truck drivers. He also warned that the federal government would withhold over $40 million in highway safety funds, for laxity in enforcing the rules.