A California semi-truck driver is facing multiple charges after a deadly chain-reaction crash on Interstate 10 in Ontario killed three people and injured several others, authorities said.
The driver, 21-year-old Jashanpreet Singh, is accused of being under the influence of drugs at the time of the accident. He has been charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving under the influence causing injury, according to a criminal complaint.
Authorities said Singh, who is in the U.S. illegally, was driving a Freightliner semi-truck and failed to stop when traffic slowed on Tuesday afternoon. Dashcam footage captured the truck slamming into multiple vehicles in a fiery collision before veering onto the shoulder and striking additional cars. Eight vehicles in total, including four commercial trucks, were involved.
Three people died in the crash: a 54-year-old man in a Toyota Tacoma and two occupants of a Kia Sorento. Several others sustained serious injuries, including a 43-year-old Dodge Avenger driver and a 59-year-old bystander. A 57-year-old passenger in a Chevrolet 2500 was reported to have minor injuries.
San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson called the crash “a heinous tragedy” that could have been avoided if Singh had not driven in a “grossly negligent manner and impaired.” Authorities also noted that Singh should not have been in the U.S. legally.
Singh was arrested at the scene under suspicion of DUI and is being held without bail. Additional charges may be filed as the investigation continues. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged a detainer, as Singh entered the U.S. illegally through the southern border in 2022.
The crash has reignited debates over truck safety and immigration. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy highlighted new restrictions prohibiting illegal immigrants from operating commercial vehicles and announced a $40 million withholding from California over failure to enforce English language requirements for truckers.
Singh currently holds a valid commercial driver’s license issued by California, which expires in October 2026, and federal employment authorization, which allowed him to legally work as a truck driver, officials confirmed.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing as authorities continue to review all evidence and footage.
The incident took place on Tuesday, and this article was written on Friday. Was no one able to draw blood and determine whether or not the driver was on drugs or not during those four days? Both the state of California and the federal government declared that this man was legally allowed to drive a large truck, so who made those decisions, and on what information did they base them? This article states that Singh illegally entered the country, but never mentions anything about him correcting that status prior to getting his CDL.
This is a second one from a few weeks ago with an illegal driving.CA the state that defies common sense