Governor Newsom Accused of Violating Federal Law in Fatal Crash Incident
A recent report claims that California Governor Gavin Newsom breached federal laws by renewing the driver’s license for an undocumented truck driver linked to a tragic drug-related accident that resulted in three fatalities and multiple injuries.
Sean Duffy, the Transportation Secretary, pointed fingers at Newsom for the deadly incident that occurred on Tuesday. He asserts that California state officials improperly upgraded Jashanpreet Singh’s commercial driving license just weeks after federal regulations prohibited illegal immigrants from holding such licenses. This information comes from a report by the Department of Transportation released on Friday.
The new regulations, which necessitate that states verify applicants’ legal status, took effect on September 26. Notably, Singh, a 21-year-old from India, had his driving privileges expanded on October 15, according to the report.
Duffy expressed his condolences, saying, “My prayers are with the families of the victims of this tragedy.” He further stated, “If Gavin Newsom had adhered to our new rules, this situation wouldn’t have occurred. California has violated the law, resulting in three deaths and two individuals hospitalized. There should be accountability.”
Singh was initially granted a restricted commercial driver’s license on June 27, allowing only intrastate travel, as noted in the DOT report. When the new regulations came into effect, federal authorities alerted California about “serious noncompliance” concerning the issuance of truck driver licenses and demanded an audit within 30 days to rectify any unexpired licenses.
On Singh’s birthday, October 15, the state Department of Transportation lifted the restrictions on his driving privileges, disregarding the stricter standards set by the Department of Transportation’s newly enacted emergency rules.
The report claimed, “Gavin Newsom was clearly informed that California’s CDL program was significantly flawed.” The emergency regulations were specifically designed to prevent individuals like Singh from operating commercial vehicles.
As of now, Newsom’s office has not replied to inquiries for comments regarding the situation.
Authorities reported that Singh was suspected of being under the influence of drugs when he crashed his semi-truck into a slow-moving vehicle on Highway 10 in San Bernardino County on Tuesday afternoon.
The incident, captured on dashcam, resulted in three deaths and injured at least four others. The disturbing footage shows Singh allegedly colliding with the back of an SUV, which then crashed into several other cars and erupted in flames.
Homeland Security officials indicated that Singh likely entered the U.S. through the southern border in 2022 and was released by the Biden administration. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement later sought to arrest him following an earlier request for local law enforcement to notify federal authorities before releasing detainees.
He now faces charges of vehicular manslaughter linked to driving under the influence.
