Deadly US freeway crash and drug angle: Illegal Indian trucker Jashanpreet Singh arrested — all you need to know

An illegal Indian Sikh immigrant was arrested by California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers in connection with a deadly eight-vehicle collision that included four commercial vehicles.

The suspect has been identified as 21-year-old Jashanpreet Singh.

CHP officers arrested Jashanpreet Singh in connection with the deadly crash on Tuesday.

The collision, which involved four commercial vehicles, resulted in three fatalities and four critical injuries.

Singh, a resident of Yuba City, California, was detained on suspicion of driving a truck under the influence of drugs.

Who is Jashanpreet Singh?

According to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials cited by CBS News, Jashanpreet Singh is an Indian national who illegally entered the United States by crossing the US-Mexico border in 2022.

Jail records from San Bernardino County confirm Singh remains detained without bail at the West Valley Detention Center. He faces serious charges, including gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving under the influence of drugs, causing bodily injury. He is scheduled to appear in Rancho Superior Court on Thursday.

CBS Sacramento spoke with Singh's friend, Gurjot Malhar, on Wednesday evening. He told them that Singh came to the US in search of a better life.

"He's an amazing guy. ... He would talk normally, happily, always with love and care," Malhar said.

"Coming from India, it's gonna be hard to make dollars here. ... So, he wanted to keep going," Malhar added.

CHP officers told CBS that they were investigating whether Singh was driving with a valid commercial driver's licence at the time of the crash.

Federal funds withheld over trucker language rules

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that he will withhold $40 million from California, citing the state's unique failure to enforce federal English language requirements for commercial truck drivers.

The action stems from an investigation following a deadly Florida crash on August 12. The incident involved driver Harjinder Singh, also an Indian national, who entered the US illegally but obtained a commercial licence from California. The horrific crash occurred when the driver made an illegal U-turn.

The probe uncovered what Duffy described as "significant failures" in California’s adherence to rules that took effect in June under a Trump administration executive order.

The controversy has become highly political, with the governors of California and Florida engaging in public criticism, and Secretary Duffy using interviews to highlight the administration's immigration concerns related to licensing and enforcement.