California Semi-Truck Crash Kills Three; Illegal Immigrant Driver From India Arrested

A devastating semi-truck crash in Southern California has left three dead and several injured, with authorities pointing the finger at a 21-year-old Indian man, Jashanpreet Singh, identified as an illegal immigrant. The fiery collision, captured on the truck’s dashcam, occurred when Singh’s Freightliner tractor-trailer slammed into slow-moving traffic on a San Bernardino County freeway. Charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, Singh’s arrest has ignited a firestorm of debate over immigration policies and road safety, as reported on October 23, 2025.

Singh, who crossed the US southern border in 2022, had his first brush with Border Patrol in California’s El Centro Sector in March of that year. Released under the Biden administration’s “alternatives to detention” policy, he was allowed into the country pending immigration hearings. Fast forward to the deadly crash, and authorities allege Singh was under the influence of drugs, failing to brake as he plowed into an SUV, killing at least three unidentified victims and injuring others, including himself and a mechanic assisting with a roadside tire change. “Toxicology tests confirmed his impairment,” CHP Officer Rodrigo Jimenez told ABC7 News, noting Singh was hospitalized post-crash for medical evaluation.

The US Department of Homeland Security confirmed Singh’s lack of lawful immigration status, and the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (USICE) has slapped an immigration detainer on him, signaling potential deportation proceedings following his criminal case. The incident has drawn parallels to another tragedy in August, when Harjinder Singh, another Indian immigrant who entered the US illegally in 2018, allegedly caused a fatal crash in Fort Pierce, Florida, killing three. Harjinder, like Jashanpreet, held a commercial driver’s license from California, raising questions about oversight in the trucking industry.

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The San Bernardino crash has amplified concerns about illegal immigration and public safety, with critics arguing that lax border policies have deadly consequences. Social media posts on X reflect growing public outrage, with some users demanding stricter vetting for commercial drivers and others decrying the release of undocumented migrants into the US interior. Meanwhile, the victims’ families await answers, their identities still unreleased as investigations continue. Singh’s failure to brake, captured in chilling dashcam footage, paints a grim picture of a preventable tragedy fueled by drugs and reckless speed.

This incident marks a troubling trend of crashes involving undocumented truck drivers, putting pressure on lawmakers to address gaps in immigration enforcement and transportation regulations. As California grapples with the aftermath, the nation watches closely, with Singh’s case likely to fuel heated debates in the lead-up to the 2026 midterms. For now, a community mourns, and a young driver faces the weight of lives lost in a split-second catastrophe.

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