(ONTARIO, Calif.) — The driver of a semi-truck that slammed into multiple vehicles, killing three people, on a California highway was allegedly under the influence of drugs, authorities said.
The driver — identified by authorities as 21-year-old Jashanpreet Singh — was booked for vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of drugs in connection with Tuesday’s chain-reaction crash on Interstate 10 in Ontario, according to the California Highway Patrol.
He is in the United States illegally and an immigration detainer has also been placed on him, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Authorities said Singh was driving a Freightliner semi-truck and failed to stop in time when traffic in his lane had slowed or stopped Tuesday afternoon. Three people were killed and at least four others injured in the multi-vehicle crash, police said.
Dash camera footage of the crash showed the truck slam into multiple vehicles in a fiery crash, then veer off into the shoulder and ram into additional vehicles before coming to a stop.
Eight vehicles, including four commercial vehicles, were involved in the crash, police said.
“This is sadly a reminder of how precious life is and how fast it could be taken away at the hands of somebody who is driving irresponsibly, somebody who is impaired,” California Highway Patrol Officer Rodrigo Jimenez told Los Angeles ABC station KABC.
Singh, of Yuba City, is being held without bail and is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday, online jail records show.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has also lodged an arrest detainer for Singh, according to DHS, which said he is in the U.S. illegally from India, entering through the southern border in 2022.
“This tragedy follows a disturbing pattern of criminal illegal aliens driving commercial vehicles on American roads, directly threatening public safety,” DHS said on X.
When contacted for information on the truck driver’s commercial license, a California Highway Patrol spokesperson told ABC News they are not releasing any further information on Singh at this time.
Singh has a valid commercial driver’s license that expires in October 2026, KABC reported, according to the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reacted with outrage to the incident.
“This is exactly why I set new restrictions that prohibit ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS from operating trucks,” he said on X on Thursday.
Since taking office, Duffy has issued an order announcing new guidelines to strengthen English language enforcement for commercial truck operators, following an executive order from President Donald Trump that reinforced English requirements for truck drivers.
Last week, Duffy said the Transportation Department will withhold $40 million from California after an investigation found it to be the only state failing to enforce English language requirements for truckers.
“This is exactly why @USDOT has withheld $40 MILLION from California for failure to comply with our rules to protect drivers,” Duffy said on X on Wednesday in response to the deadly crash. “We cannot allow our roads to be a dangerous place!”
The investigation came after a deadly Florida collision in August involving a foreign truck driver who authorities said made an illegal U-turn on a highway and caused a crash that killed three people. The driver was charged with three counts of vehicular homicide.
Florida authorities have said the driver, who is from India, entered the country illegally from Mexico in 2018.
When interviewed, the driver did not speak English, according to DOT. He had been issued a non-domiciled commercial driver’s license by California in 2024, as well as a regular commercial driver’s license by Washington state in 2023, DOT said.
California officials said he had a valid work permit at the time.
In September, Duffy announced stricter eligibility requirements for noncitizens seeking non-domiciled commercial learner’s permits and commercial driver’s licenses.
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