An undocumented immigrant truck driver was arrested on Tuesday in California, being suspected of causing a deadly multi-vehicle accident and trying to escape the scene, according to federal authorities.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported that Manvir Singh, an undocumented immigrant from India, fatally injured two individuals near Lodi.
Singh, who entered the U.S. illegally through Arizona in 2023, was released by the Biden administration, as stated by federal officials.
This incident marks the fourth case involving a truck driver named Singh—who lacks legal status—charged in a fatal crash since the previous year. Authorities emphasize a troubling trend of illegal immigrant commercial drivers from India.
“It’s reckless and extremely dangerous for illegal aliens who don’t speak English to hold Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs) and operate 18-wheelers or transport hazardous materials on U.S. roads,” officials expressed.
Around 12:20 p.m., it’s reported that Singh veered off the road and crashed into a guardrail, triggering an accident that involved three other vehicles. The California Highway Patrol has since been consulted.
After the crash, Singh allegedly tried to flee the scene on foot but was apprehended by the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office.
DHS noted that Singh faces several charges, including gross negligence leading to death by motor vehicle, hit and run involving bodily injury, and resisting or obstructing an officer.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has also requested that California authorities hold the suspect and transfer him to federal custody.
Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Biss stated, “We should not have allowed an undocumented immigrant from India to operate a semi-truck, leading to the deaths of two innocent people.” She called for Congress to enact Dalila’s Law, aimed at preventing states from issuing CDLs to illegal immigrants.
This proposed federal legislation is named after Dalila Coleman, a young girl who received life-changing injuries in a 2024 accident allegedly caused by an undocumented driver.
This recent crash adds to a worrying trend, as multiple incidents involving undocumented truck drivers have occurred. In April, ICE apprehended another illegal immigrant truck driver with a CDL in California, charged with murdering a newlywed couple in Oregon in November 2025.
Authorities also mentioned a driver who was arrested after initially being released from a sanctuary jurisdiction following those events.
In February, another undocumented truck driver in Pennsylvania was alleged to have collided head-on with a van after swerving into oncoming traffic, resulting in four fatalities.
Last December, it was reported that an American was killed by a Chinese CDL holder suspected of failing an English proficiency test post-crash, having entered the U.S. from Mexico in 2023.
Additionally, in August, another undocumented immigrant, Harjinder Singh, was charged with three counts of vehicular homicide after executing an illegal U-turn in St. Lucie County, Florida, which resulted in three deaths.
