Indian truck driver Jashanpreet Singh sentenced to nearly 5 years in prison for fatal California crash
A 21-year-old Indian citizen living illegally in the United States has been sentenced to four years and eight months in prison for a devastating truck accident in Southern California that killed three people and injured several others.Jashanpreet Singh, who entered the United States illegally during the Biden administration, was sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty to three felony counts of gross negligence vehicular manslaughter in connection with an October 2025 crash on Interstate 10 in Ontario, California, the New York Post reported.He initially pleaded not guilty but changed his plea last month. Prosecutors said he faced up to 10 years in prison.
Truck hit stopped traffic without braking
According to investigators, Singer was driving a red semi-truck when he hit slow-moving traffic on westbound Highway 10, triggering a chain-reaction collision involving seven other vehicles.Dashcam footage and witness accounts indicate that the truck never appeared to brake or attempt to avoid traffic ahead.“It didn’t stop. It didn’t turn. It didn’t perform any kind of maneuver. It just went straight in,” witness Jason Calmelat told NBC Los Angeles, adding that the impact sounded like an explosion.The crash left the truck engulfed in flames and debris scattered on the highway.California Highway Patrol officials described the aftermath as the scene of a large-scale crash involving hazardous materials.The victims included an elderly couple and another resident from Upland, California.
Immigration status and business licenses in the spotlight
Federal authorities said Singer entered the United States illegally in 2022 after crossing the southern border and was later released while awaiting immigration proceedings.He was arrested after the accident and placed on immigration detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.The California Department of Motor Vehicles confirmed that Singer holds a California commercial driver’s license. He obtained his driver’s license in June 2025 and had the license restrictions removed on Oct. 15, shortly after he turned 21, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Six days later, a fatal car crash occurred.Federal transportation officials said Singer should be disqualified under emergency federal rules governing the eligibility for certain noncitizen commercial driver licenses.California officials insist, however, that his license was issued under a federally recognized employment authorization document.
Federal government blames California
The case has sparked political controversy over California’s commercial driver’s license policy.U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy accused Gavin Newsom’s administration of failing to comply with new federal requirements, claiming the state’s actions allowed Singer to continue driving commercially.“Had Gavin Newsom followed our new rules, this would not have happened,” Duffy said. “California broke the law and now three people are dead and two are hospitalized. These people deserve justice.”Federal officials have previously warned California about compliance issues with commercial driver licenses and directed the state to stop issuing new licenses to certain noncitizens while it reviews existing approvals.In a separate case, another Indian national, Harjinder Singh, was accused of causing a fatal truck crash in Florida after making an illegal U-turn through a restricted area.He faces multiple murder and immigration-related charges. A Florida court earlier this year gave his attorneys more time to prepare for trial.
