Indian illegal immigrant accused of killing 3 in California truck crash

An Indian man, who is an illegal immigrant in the US, has allegedly rammed his semi-truck into traffic, killing at least three people in Southern California. The accused, identified as Jashanpreet Singh, was later confirmed to be driving under the influence of drugs.

Singh had his first run-in with the Border Patrol in California's El Centro Sector in March 2022 and was later released into the interior of the country by the Biden administration under the "alternatives to detention" policy. According to the policy, illegal immigrants were released pending hearings, reported Fox News. The crash took place on Tuesday (October 21).

Never applied brakes

The deadly crash was recorded on the dashcam of Singh's truck that slammed into an SUV, killing three people and injuring several others. According to media reports, the three deceased are yet to be identified. They further stated that the injured include Singh and a mechanic who was helping with changing the tyre of a vehicle at the time of the crash.

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According to police, Singh never applied the brakes before ramming into the traffic jam as he was driving under the influence of drugs. Later, a toxicology test confirmed the suspicion.

"He was eventually transported to the hospital, and was checked out by the medical staff, and our officers determined he was driving under the influence of drugs," said CHP Officer Rodrigo Jimenez, as quoted by ABC7 News.

Didn’t have lawful immigration status

Singh did not have a lawful immigration status, and an immigration detainer has been lodged following his arrest, reported Fox News, quoting sources in the Department of Homeland Security.

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The report further stated that Singh has been arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter while being intoxicated and of slamming his truck into slow-moving traffic on the I-10 Freeway in San Bernardino County.

Earlier incidents

Earlier, several similar incidents involving illegal immigrant truck drivers have taken place in the US.

In 2018, an illegal immigrant, Harjinder Singh, who obtained a commercial driver's license in California and was accused of causing a crash that resulted in three deaths. Police said that he failed English and road sign tests, reported Fox News.

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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, on October 15, expressed concern over the issue in a statement.

"I put states on notice this summer: enforce the Trump Administration’s English language requirements or the checks stop coming," said Duffy,

"California is the only state in the nation that refuses to ensure big rig drivers can read our road signs and communicate with law enforcement. This is a fundamental safety issue that impacts you and your family on America’s roads,” he added as quoted by Fox News.