Authorities in California have confirmed that an Indian-origin truck driver accused of causing a deadly multi-vehicle crash that killed three people was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the incident. However, prosecutors say the case still amounts to grossly negligent homicide.
Jashanpreet Singh, 21, of Yuba City, was arrested on October 21 after his semi-truck slammed into stationary vehicles in Ontario, California, killing three and seriously injuring several others. He was initially booked under suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI) and charged with vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence.
New toxicology results have now cleared Singh of any evidence of intoxication. “None of the substances tested were present in Singh’s blood,” said the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office. “However, the case remains a grossly negligent homicide.”
Updated court documents now charge Singh with three counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and an additional count of reckless driving causing injury. Dashcam and eyewitness footage reportedly showed Singh’s truck speeding into a line of stopped traffic moments before the collision.
“This was a heinous tragedy that took three lives and severely injured others — and it was completely avoidable,” District Attorney Jason Anderson said. “Had the defendant not been driving in a grossly negligent manner, those victims would still be alive today.” Anderson also suggested that Singh should not have been in the state at all, citing alleged immigration lapses that allowed him to remain in the U.S. pending a hearing.
Authorities confirmed that Singh had entered the U.S. illegally through the southern border in 2022 and was released while awaiting an immigration decision. He is being held without bail, with prosecutors arguing he poses a flight risk.
The crash is the second fatal incident in recent months involving an Indian-origin truck driver in the United States. In August, Harjinder Singh, 28, was charged in Florida after allegedly making an illegal U-turn with his tractor-trailer, killing three people. Following that incident, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio called for a suspension of commercial truck driver work visas, citing safety concerns and the impact on domestic truckers.
“This growing trend of foreign truck drivers operating massive vehicles on U.S. highways is endangering lives and undercutting American workers,” Rubio posted on social media.
Jashanpreet Singh’s next court appearance is expected later this month as the investigation into the fatal California crash continues.