The driver of a semi-truck involved in a multi-vehicle crash in Ontario, California, has been identified as Jashanpreet Singh, who is reportedly an undocumented immigrant from India, according to officials from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
This information was shared by Bill Melgin of FOX News.
“Multiple sources at ICE inform that Jashanpreet Singh, the driver linked to a fatal drunk driving accident on Interstate 10 in Ontario, California, was apprehended and later released by the Biden administration at the California border back in March 2022,” Melgin stated.
He also noted that ICE has requested the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department to detain Singh, who is suspected of DUI resulting in serious injuries and gross negligent homicide.
As of now, Singh has not been formally charged, Melgin added.
According to police reports, Singh was speeding, under the influence of alcohol, and failed to slow down when he struck a slower vehicle on the highway.
The crash involved a total of four semi-trucks, two pickup trucks, and two passenger vehicles, resulting in three fatalities and injuring four others, according to NBC Los Angeles.
An eyewitness recounted seeing a red truck speeding down the highway and described the sound as resembling a loud explosion.
Another witness, Jason Carmelat, remarked, “It didn’t stop,” indicating that the truck showed no signs of attempting to maneuver out of the way.
Video footage from a drive recorder shared by ABC7 News shows Singh’s semi-truck speeding and colliding with multiple vehicles.
An October 15 press release from the Department of Transportation revealed that Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy announced plans to withhold over $40 million from California due to findings that the state was not meeting the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s English Language Proficiency standards.
“I informed states this past summer that noncompliance with the Trump administration’s language requirements would result in the loss of checks,” Duffy stated. “California is unique in not allowing truck drivers to read road signs or communicate with police.”
