A truck driver, who is an undocumented immigrant, appeared in court while wearing a turban, a request he had previously made that had been overlooked in earlier appearances. Jashanpreet Singh, 21, from India, is accused of being responsible for an eight-vehicle collision on the westbound 10 Freeway in San Bernardino County last October.
The court hearing on Monday was delayed for three hours while waiting for a Punjabi interpreter for Singh. Although he initially appeared in standard orange prison attire, he now wore a Sikh turban, a religious garment he had wished to wear during previous hearings but had been seen without it before. However, he was permitted to wear it in his mugshot post-arrest.
Despite the long wait, the hearing progressed quickly. Singh didn’t speak directly to the judge, as his lawyer led the proceedings.
Singh is due back in court on January 16.
He is facing three counts of vehicular manslaughter, attributed to gross negligence and reckless driving. His initial charges included driving under the influence, but those were dropped after tests showed no alcohol or drugs in his system after the incident. He has pleaded not guilty to all allegations.
He had previously faced potential sentencing of up to 17 years on more severe charges; however, if convicted under the current charges, he could be looking at a maximum of 10 years in prison.
Video footage from the crash captured the moment when Singh’s truck collided with the rear of an SUV, setting off a chain reaction that resulted in several vehicles, including another truck, catching fire.
In the aftermath of the crash, the California Department of Transportation pointed fingers at Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration for the circumstances surrounding the incident, which claimed the lives of an elderly couple and a resident from Upland.
A report from the DOT claims that Newsom’s team improperly renewed Singh’s driver’s license, disregarding a recent federal law designed to prevent undocumented immigrants from obtaining commercial licenses. The day his new license was issued coincided with his 21st birthday, causing speculation about the legality of his driving status.
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy stated, “If Gavin Newsom had adhered to our new regulations, this tragedy wouldn’t have occurred. California violated the law, and now three individuals are dead, with others injured. Those responsible should be held accountable.”
Tricia McLaughlin from the Department of Homeland Security remarked on the incident as part of a concerning pattern of undocumented immigrants operating large trucks on U.S. roads. Authorities believe Singh entered the U.S. illegally through the southern border in 2022.
In a related case, another illegal immigrant from India, Harjinder Singh, faces charges for making a prohibited U-turn in an 18-wheeler in Florida, which also led to three fatalities. Notably, Harjinder was behind the wheel of a CDL issued in California and now faces multiple serious charges including murder and immigration violations.
