An illegal immigrant from India has been sentenced to four years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty for an eight-vehicle crash in Southern California that killed three people and injured four others.
Jashanpreet Singh was sentenced for the October 2025 collision in Ontario, California, after prosecutors determined his actions constituted grossly negligent vehicular manslaughter.
Eight-Vehicle Crash Leaves Three Dead
According to NBC Los Angeles, the crash occurred after traffic on the highway had slowed, but Singh continued driving at highway speed before plowing into multiple vehicles.
The California Highway Patrol said Singh failed to take any evasive action before the collision.
Dashcam footage captured the moments leading up to the crash.
“It didn’t stop. It didn’t swerve. It didn’t make any kind of maneuvers. It just went straight in,” one witness told NBC Los Angeles. “The truck rolled and veered to the right into the embankment, and I saw the truck driver jump out because it was on fire.”
Prosecutors Call Crash “Easily Avoidable”
Shortly after the collision, San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson announced that toxicology testing found Singh was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Despite that finding, Anderson said the evidence supported charges of grossly negligent vehicular manslaughter because of Singh’s driving behavior.
“This is a heinous tragedy that took three lives and severely injured others,” Anderson said.
“Frankly, it was easily avoidable if the defendant was not driving in a grossly negligent manner and impaired.”
Anderson also criticized federal and state immigration enforcement, arguing Singh should not have been in the country.
“Had the rule of law been followed by state and federal officials, the defendant should have never been in California at all,” he said.
Singh ultimately pleaded guilty to three counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence.
ICE Placed Detainer on Driver
Following Singh’s arrest, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced it had lodged an immigration detainer against him.
The detainer requests that local authorities transfer Singh to ICE custody upon completion of his prison sentence so deportation proceedings can begin.
According to ICE, Singh entered the United States through the southern border in 2022 and was released into the country during the Biden administration.
Immigration Officials Cite Broader Concern
After the crash, then-ICE Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the case highlighted broader public safety concerns involving illegal immigrants operating commercial vehicles.
“It is a terrible tragedy three innocent people lost their lives due to the reckless open-border policies that allowed an illegal alien to be released into the U.S. and drive an 18-wheeler on America’s highways,” McLaughlin said.
“This accident follows a disturbing trend of illegal aliens driving 18-wheelers and semi-trucks on America’s roads.”
Once Singh completes his four-year, eight-month prison sentence, ICE is expected to take custody of him for removal proceedings under the immigration detainer already filed by the agency.
Changes Nationwide
Singh’s case is one of several fatal crashes involving foreign-born commercial drivers that have drawn increased scrutiny from the Trump administration. Last year, the Department of Transportation tightened commercial driver’s license (CDL) requirements for non-domiciled foreign nationals, citing concerns over licensing standards and highway safety. The changes require additional immigration documentation, enhanced verification of legal status and stricter eligibility standards for foreign applicants seeking to operate commercial vehicles in the United States. The administration also moved to enforce federal English-language proficiency requirements for commercial truck drivers.
The new regulations have been challenged in multiple lawsuits by labor unions, immigrant advocacy organizations and other groups, which argue the policies unfairly burden legal immigrant drivers and could harm the trucking industry. Federal courts have thus far allowed the rules to remain in effect, finding the administration is likely within its authority to strengthen commercial driver vetting.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, nationwide audits have resulted in roughly 28,000 improperly issued commercial driver’s licenses being canceled, while roadside inspections have identified approximately 20,000 English-language proficiency violations since enforcement efforts began.
READ NEXT: Court Challenges Mount Against Trump Administration’s Rules On Foreign Truck Drivers
Sponsored
Stand with President Trump against fraud, waste & abuse – he can’t beat the machine without YOU.
