An individual of Indian descent, identified as Jashanpreet Singh, has been taken into custody following a fatal accident in Ontario, California, resulting in the deaths of three individuals and injuries to at least four others. Singh, who reportedly entered the US unlawfully in 2022, was involved in a collision on a freeway, where his freight liner tractor-trailer crashed into multiple vehicles after rear-ending an SUV during slow-moving traffic.
The 21-year-old Jashanpreet Singh, residing in Yuba City, California, was arrested on charges of driving under the influence of drugs and vehicular manslaughter. Authorities revealed that Singh did not apply the brakes before colliding with the traffic congestion, with toxicology tests confirming impairment.
Law enforcement sources disclosed that Singh, an Indian national, illegally entered the US in 2022 and was encountered by the US Border Patrol in March the same year in the El Centro sector of California. Following an immigration hearing, he was released into the country’s interior.
The crash involved eight vehicles, including four commercial trucks, resulting in three fatalities and four individuals being hospitalized. Singh is currently detained in San Bernardino County without bail, awaiting his upcoming court appearance at Rancho Superior Court in Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is investigating whether Singh possessed a valid commercial driver’s license at the time of the accident. In response to recent incidents involving foreign truck drivers, the US government temporarily suspended the issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers to conduct a thorough review of screening procedures for visa applicants.
In a similar incident in August, Harjinder Singh, an undocumented immigrant from India, was involved in a fatal crash in St Lucie County, Florida, while attempting an illegal U-turn on the Florida Turnpike, resulting in three fatalities. The State of Florida has taken legal action against California and Washington, accusing them of failing to comply with federal safety and immigration requirements in issuing commercial driver’s licenses.