Semi-Truck Driver Pleads Not Guilty in Fatal California DUI Crash

A 21-year-old semi-truck driver, Jashanpreet Singh, has pleaded not guilty to charges related to a fatal crash on Interstate 10 in Ontario, California, that resulted in three deaths and multiple injuries. Authorities allege that Singh was driving at a high rate of speed and under the influence of drugs when he collided with stopped traffic, causing a chain-reaction accident.

Singh faces three counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and one count of driving under the influence of a drug causing injury. He remains held without bail and is scheduled for his next court appearance on November 4.

The Department of Homeland Security has stated that Singh is in the United States illegally, having entered through the southern border in 2022. An immigration detainer has been placed on him.

Singh was issued a commercial driver's license (CDL) by California. The Department of Transportation indicated that under new federal actions effective September 26, noncitizens, including asylum-seekers, are ineligible for non-domiciled CDLs. Singh's license was upgraded on October 15 without applying these stricter standards.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy commented on the incident, stating, "This is exactly why I set new restrictions that prohibit ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS from operating trucks."

California Governor Gavin Newsom's office responded, noting that the federal government had approved and renewed Singh's employment authorization multiple times, allowing him to obtain a CDL in accordance with federal law.