A 21-year-old Indian national, identified as Jashanpreet Singh, has been arrested following a fiery multi-vehicle collision on California’s Interstate 10 Freeway that left three people dead and four others injured, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Authorities said Singh, a Punjab-origin truck driver living in Yuba County, was allegedly under the influence of drugs when his semi-truck plowed into slow-moving traffic in Ontario, California, on Tuesday morning.
The crash sparked a chain reaction involving eight vehicles, including four big rigs and multiple passenger cars. Singh was taken into custody at the scene and later charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence causing injury, and drug-related offenses.
Entered US Illegally in 2022
The DHS confirmed that Singh had entered the United States illegally through the US-Mexico border in 2022. He was reportedly working as a commercial truck driver at the time of the accident, though officials have not yet verified whether he held a valid commercial driver’s license (CDL).
ALSO READ: Trump Defends Strikes on ‘Narco-Terrorists’, Says No Congress Approval Needed for Military Action
In August 2025, the US government suspended the issuance of work visas for foreign commercial truck drivers, making Singh’s employment status unclear.
‘He Wanted a Better Life’
CBS News spoke to Singh’s friend Gurjot Malhar, who described him as “an amazing guy” and said that Singh had come to the US seeking a better future.
“He was like a brother to me,” Malhar told reporters. “Coming from India, it’s hard to make dollars here, so he wanted to keep going. His big step was trying to be a truck driver.”
Malhar added that Singh had struggled financially since arriving in the US but remained optimistic about building a stable life.
Authorities continue to investigate the crash, including whether Singh had proper documentation to operate the Freightliner tractor-trailer involved in the deadly collision.
