A 21-year-old truck driver who was arrested for driving under the influence has been charged in connection with a fatal multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 10 that killed three people and injured several others earlier this week.
Jashanpreet Singh, an Indian national who entered the United States illegally in 2022, has been charged with driving under the influence of drugs, causing bodily injury, and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, according to San Bernardino County records.
Why It Matters
The crash comes after the Trump administration announced that it would withhold over $40 million in federal highway safety funds from California because of the state’s failure to meet federal English language proficiency requirements for truck drivers. In August, the U.S. government temporarily suspended the issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers. A State Department spokesperson said the pause was implemented to allow for a comprehensive review of the screening and vetting procedures used to assess applicants’ qualifications for a U.S. visa.
What To Know
The crash occurred on the 10 Freeway in Ontario on October 22, when Singh’s semi-truck reportedly slammed into slowed traffic, triggering an eight-vehicle pileup that involved four commercial trucks.
Dashboard camera footage obtained by ABC7 shows the truck striking a car in front of it before continuing into several other vehicles, including another truck. Flames are visible at the edge of the frame as one of the passenger cars catches fire.
California Highway Patrol officers arrested Singh at the scene on Tuesday following the crash. The accident resulted in three fatalities and four people were hospitalized with varying injuries. All of the victims were adults, according to CBS News.
Among the fatalities were former Pomona High School assistant basketball coach Clarence Nelson and his wife, Lisa, according to KTLA. The school shared a photo of the couple on social media with a message honoring them.
Singh was driving a speeding semi-truck and failed to apply the brakes before crashing into slow-moving traffic stuck in congestion, according to the California Highway Patrol.
He had been encountered by U.S. Border Patrol in California’s El Centro Sector after entering the country illegally in March 2022. He was then released under what authorities described as “alternatives to detention” while his immigration case proceeded, according to Fox News.
Following his arrest in connection with the crash, ICE has lodged an immigration detainer.
Singh is a resident of Yuba City, in California’s Sutter County, about 120 miles northeast of San Francisco, according to CBS News.
CHP officers told CBS Los Angeles that they are investigating whether Singh held a valid commercial driver’s license at the time of the crash.
What People Are Saying
Singh’s friend, Gurjot Malhar, told CBS Sacramento: “Well honestly, at first I didn’t believe…He’s an amazing guy…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.”
What Happens Next
Singh is being held without bail and is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday, October 23, 2025, at 8:00 a.m., at Rancho Superior Court in Rancho Cucamonga.