Editor’s note: The previous version of the story had said Singh did not have a commercial driver’s license at the time of the crash.
The driver who was accused of causing a deadly eight-car pile-up along the 10 Freeway in Ontario was an undocumented immigrant, federal authorities confirmed Thursday.
Stream Los Angeles News for free, 24/7, wherever you are.
Jashanpreet Singh, an Indian national, was allegedly driving a semi-truck under the influence when he crashed into seven other cars — three semi-trucks, two pick-up trucks and two cars — at around 1:10 p.m. Tuesday.
Three people died, and four others were injured in the crash.
Singh, 21, first entered the U.S. through the southern border in 2022, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said.
“(He) was RELEASED into the country under the Biden administration, the DHS said in a statement.
The California Department of Motor Vehicle confirmed to NBC Los Angeles that Singh had a commercial driver’s license classification in the state.
San Bernardino County authorities Wednesday officially filed charges against Singh, citing eyewitness information and dashcam footage that allegedly showed Singh traveling at a high rate of speed into stopped traffic.
Singh, facing vehicle manslaughter and DUI charges, was held at no bail as of Thursday due to “flight risk,” according to the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office. He was expected to be arraigned on all charges at the Rancho Cucamonga Superior Courthouse on Friday, Oct. 24.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged an immigration detainer for him, the DHS added.
“It is a terrible tragedy three innocent people lost their lives due to the reckless open border policies that allowed an illegal alien to be released into the U.S. and drive an 18-wheeler on America’s highways,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a statement.
Earlier this week, another undocumented alien, without a valid commercial license, was arrested after crashing his semi-truck into a car in Indiana, the federal agency said.
A man who witnessed the Ontario collision, said the crash sounded like a big explosion as he recalled a red semi-truck, allegedly driven by Singh, barreling down the freeway before the impact.
“It didn’t stop. It didn’t swerve. It didn’t make any kind of maneuvers. It just went straight in,” Jason Calmelat described what he saw.
The California Highway Patrol said traffic on the westbound lanes had slowed down right before the crash, but Singh’s truck did not stop and caused the massive chain reaction crash.
“The truck rolled and veered to the right into the embankment, and I saw the truck drive jump out because it was on fire,” Calmelat said.
The four injured people including Singh, and a mechanic who was helping change a tire on the side of the freeway at the time of the crash, the California Highway Patrol said.
“It was one of those crashes where there were car parts everywhere. We had a hazardous material incident. It was a very large scene,” Officer Rodrigo Jimenez with the CHP said. “This could have been prevented if somebody had been paying attention sober.
