A grieving father is speaking out after his 5-year-old daughter was left with serious injuries due to a crash caused by a truck driver who entered the country illegally. He claims that California Governor Gavin Newsom has ignored attempts to reach out for help.
Dalila Coleman, now 7, is struggling to communicate and relearn basic motor skills after her family’s car was involved in a devastating accident in 2024. The truck, driven by Partap Singh, an undocumented immigrant, barreled through a construction zone without stopping, ultimately leading to the collision.
Reports indicate that Singh had somehow obtained a commercial driver’s license despite his immigration status. He was previously apprehended crossing the southern border in October 2022 but was released. In August 2025, he was detained again by ICE for deportation.
“I contacted the governor’s office soon after the accident, both by phone and through email, but never received a response,” Marcus Coleman shared. He expressed frustration, saying their urgent pleas for assistance have been met with silence.
Dalila spent three weeks in a coma and required extensive hospital care, which included a craniectomy. For four months, part of her skull remained missing as she healed.
The accident has left her with difficulties, including an inability to eat normally, along with serious injuries like a fractured femur and skull. Dalila was later diagnosed with diplegic cerebral palsy and a global developmental delay, meaning she will need ongoing treatment.
Despite their challenges, the family has struggled to secure government support to help with medical costs. “We have to fend for ourselves,” Marcus said, explaining that they were even denied Social Security benefits.
Coleman, who also works as a truck driver, criticized California’s practices surrounding the issuing of commercial driver’s licenses to foreign nationals, describing them as poorly managed. He accused state leaders, including Newsom, of prioritizing political agendas over public safety.
“It seems like they are making choices that serve their interests, regardless of the consequences for others,” he commented.
This sentiment was echoed by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who called out California leadership for failing the community.
Newsom has only made one public statement acknowledging the family’s ordeal through social media, which Marcus found insufficient. The aftermath of the crash has stirred controversy, especially highlighting the tension between local and federal immigration policies.
In response to these events, Newsom has pushed back against criticisms that his administration has made reckless decisions regarding commercial driver’s licenses. He noted that the driver was granted a federal work permit, allowing for licenses to be issued in any state.
Last November, California rescinded 17,000 CDLs issued to immigrants who were no longer legally able to hold them, reflecting ongoing complications surrounding licensing regulations.
As of now, Newsom’s office has not provided further comments.
