OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
8:30 AM – Thursday, October 23, 2025
A truck driver has been charged in connection with a fatal eight-vehicle crash on Interstate 10 in Ontario, California.
The trucker was identified as Jashanpreet Singh, a 21-year-old illegal immigrant from India who crossed into the United States through the southern border.
Border Patrol first encountered him in the El Centro area in March 2022, but under former President Joe Biden’s “alternatives to detention” program, he was released into the country pending an immigration hearing, according to federal officials.
The crash that killed at least three people was caught on dashcam video on Tuesday.
Singh’s big rig slammed into slow traffic on the freeway, causing an eight-vehicle pileup involving four commercial trucks and several passenger vehicles. One vehicle could be seen catching fire in the footage.
Three individuals died in the accident, and four others were hospitalized in varying conditions. According to CBS News, all of the victims were adults.
California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers arrested Singh at the scene on Tuesday following the crash, on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated — a felony that carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Police stated that Singh failed to apply the brakes at all before hitting the other vehicles. Toxicology tests confirmed his impairment.
Sources from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirm that he does not have lawful immigration status and that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has an immigration detainer for him.
CHP said they are now investigating whether Singh held a valid commercial driver’s license at the time of the disastrous accident.
Singh’s friend, Gurjot Malhar, told CBS Sacramento that at first, he didn’t believe the news.
“He’s an amazing guy,” he said of his friend. “He would talk normally, happily, always with love and care. Coming from India, it’s gonna be hard to make dollars here. … So, he wanted to keep going. His big step was trying to be a truck driver.”
Singh is being held without bail, and he is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday, October 23rd, at Rancho Superior Court in Rancho Cucamonga.
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