Truck Driver in West Virginia Custody after Pleading Guilty

A truck driver of Indian descent, Sukhjinder Singh, has found himself in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after pleading guilty to vehicular manslaughter in West Virginia. This news is coming from several local media outlets.

Singh was arrested on Monday and is currently being held at South Central Regional Jail. Reportedly, he fled to California following a deadly incident on Interstate 68 on January 19, when another driver, Kevin C. Lataille, crashed into Cheat Lake. After a few days of searching, Lataille’s body was recovered from the lake on January 26, coinciding with the filing of a missing persons report. Data from her phone indicated that her last known location was near Cheat Lake. Police managed to interview Singh with the aid of an interpreter on February 28.

Initially charged with vehicular homicide in March, Singh had left the state, as reported by local news. Authorities determined he was driving at an unsafe speed when his vehicle collided with another, leading to additional charges for failing to stop.

After pleading guilty on October 20, Singh received a one-year prison sentence on October 27 from Monongalia County Circuit Court.

Another individual, Harjinder Singh, also of Indian origin, was arrested in California and sent back to Florida facing three counts of vehicular homicide. This incident occurred on August 12 when a minivan attempted an illegal U-turn on the Florida Turnpike, resulting in three fatalities. Harjinder had entered the U.S. through Mexico in 2018 but struggled with an English proficiency test required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

The Department of Homeland Security has yet to respond regarding Sukhjinder Singh’s immigration situation.