Deadly California crash: Illegal immigrant from India accused of killing 3 in fiery I-10 collision

Dubai: A 21-year-old Indian national who entered the United States illegally in 2022 and was released under the Biden administration’s border policy has been arrested for allegedly causing a fiery semi-truck crash in Southern California that killed three people.

Federal law-enforcement sources told Fox News that the suspect, Jashanpreet Singh, was first encountered by Border Patrol in California’s El Centro Sector in March 2022.

He was later released into the country pending an immigration hearing under the administration’s “alternatives to detention” programme — a policy that allows certain migrants to remain free while awaiting court proceedings.

Authorities say Singh was driving a big rig on the I-10 Freeway in San Bernardino County when he plowed into slow-moving traffic without braking, igniting a massive fireball.

Dashcam footage captured the deadly crash, which left three people dead and several others injured.
Toxicology tests later confirmed impairment, and Singh now faces charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, Singh has no lawful immigration status, and ICE has lodged an immigration detainer following his arrest.

The California crash is the latest in a string of fatal wrecks involving undocumented immigrant truck drivers.
In August, another Indian national, Harjinder Singh, who illegally crossed the border in 2018, was accused of causing a crash in Fort Pierce, Florida, that killed three people. Investigators said he failed both English and road-sign tests before obtaining a commercial driver’s license in California.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the California case “a wake-up call” for states ignoring federal safety standards.
“I put states on notice this summer: enforce the Trump Administration’s English-language requirements or the checks stop coming,” Duffy said on October 15.

“California is the only state that refuses to ensure big-rig drivers can read our road signs and communicate with law enforcement. This is a fundamental safety issue that impacts every American family.”

Following the warning, the Trump administration announced a $40 million freeze in federal highway-safety funding to California for failing to comply with English-language proficiency standards for commercial truck drivers.

The White House has not yet commented on the incident or the broader enforcement controversy.