"he was driving under the influence of drugs."
A 21-year-old truck driver was arrested in Southern California after a fiery crash killed three people and injured several others.
The suspect, identified as Jashanpreet Singh, faces charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.
His arrest also revealed that he has reportedly been living in the United States illegally.
Singh reportedly crossed the southern US border in 2022 and was first encountered by Border Patrol agents in California’s El Centro Sector in March that year.
He was released into the interior of the country under the Biden administration’s “alternatives to detention” policy, pending an immigration hearing.
The crash occurred on the I-10 Freeway in San Bernardino County.
Dashcam footage from Singh’s Freightliner tractor-trailer shows him plowing into slow-moving traffic.
Police confirmed Singh never hit the brakes and was under the influence of drugs at the time. Toxicology tests later confirmed his impairment.
CHP Officer Rodrigo Jimenez said: “He was eventually transported to the hospital, and he was checked out by the medical staff, and our officers determined he was driving under the influence of drugs.”
The three people killed have not yet been publicly identified. Among the injured were Singh himself and a mechanic assisting with a tyre change.
The US Department of Homeland Security confirmed Singh does not have lawful immigration status.
United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (USICE) has lodged an immigration detainer against him following his arrest.
This incident follows similar cases involving illegal immigrant truck drivers.
In August, Harjinder Singh, another Indian immigrant who crossed the southern border illegally in 2018, was accused of causing a crash in Fort Pierce, Florida, that killed three people.
Harjinder Singh reportedly obtained a commercial driver’s licence in California despite his immigration status. Officials noted he had failed English and road sign tests.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy highlighted the safety risks posed by unqualified truck drivers:
“I put states on notice this summer: enforce the Trump Administration’s English language requirements or the checks stop coming!”
“California is the only state in the nation 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 you and your family on America’s road.”
The warning came after the Trump administration announced it would withhold more than $40 million in federal highway safety funding from California for failing to comply with English proficiency standards for commercial drivers.
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