Two young men lost their lives in a multi-vehicle accident near Lodi around 12:20 PM on Tuesday. Authorities identified a 24-year-old illegal immigrant from India, Manvir Singh, as the individual believed to be at fault for the crash. He reportedly fled the scene on foot but was soon apprehended by San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Deputies and is currently being held at the county jail.
The victims, aged 20 and 16, were in a Kia Forte that had come to a stop behind a Nissan Frontier and a Toyota Camry when a large truck, driven by Singh, collided with them. The truck, carrying a fully loaded trailer, weighed around 80,000 pounds, and the impact resulted in the death of both young men, while five others were taken to the hospital, two with serious injuries.
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy noted that as per Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom’s estimates, a significant portion—thirty-five percent—of commercial drivers in California are Sikhs, a religious group from India. Singh had received his commercial driver’s license in March 2025.
Duffy further mentioned that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is looking into how Singh obtained his license and is investigating the trucking company that employed him. The company, Amritsar Trans Ltd., is based in Manteca, California, and has had previous violations during inspections, including speeding and misrepresenting work status.
Singh is facing charges that include vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, hit-and-run causing bodily injury, and resisting arrest. He was granted bail set at $185,000 and is due in court this Thursday afternoon.
The Department of Homeland Security stated that Singh entered the U.S. illegally through Arizona in 2023 and was subsequently released under the Biden administration’s policies. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has submitted a request for detention, expecting that local authorities might eventually transfer him to federal custody.
Acting Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Lauren Biss commented on the incident, emphasizing that Singh should never have been allowed to operate a vehicle, let alone a semi-truck, after causing such a tragic accident. She reiterated the need for stricter controls regarding who gets to drive trucks on U.S. highways.
In response to this incident, Secretary Duffy has called for the passage of “Dalila’s Law,” which aims to restrict the issuance of commercial driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. The bill is named after a young girl who was severely injured in an accident caused by an illegal immigrant who had been issued a commercial driver’s license in California.
