Indian truck driver arrested by ICE nearly a year after causing a fatal crash in West Virginia's Cheat Lake

The 37-year-old driver, named Sukhjinder Singh, had previously been arrested in March this year over a fatal crash on the I-68 on 19 January, in which Kevin Lataille perished after Singh's truck hit his car and pushed it into the Cheat Lake.

Livemint, Written By Shiladitya Ray
Updated27 Nov 2025, 10:52 AM IST
Image showing a person in handcuffs. For representational purposes.
Image showing a person in handcuffs. For representational purposes.(Pixabay)

An Indian truck driver who had pled guilty to vehicular manslaughter in West Virginia has been held by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), multiple media reports said.

According to a report by WBOY, the truck driver, named Sukhjinder Singh, was booked into the South Central Regional Jail by ICE on November 24 and 1.30 pm local time in West Virginia.

However, it is unknown where exactly Singh was arrested from, and why he was taken into custody. WBOY reported that the driver is being held without bail.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation that sought to clarify the immigration status of the arrested driver.

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A fatal crash

The 37-year-old driver had previously been arrested in March this year over a fatal crash on the I-68 on 19 January, in which Kevin Lataille perished after Singh's truck hit his car and pushed it into the Cheat Lake.

Lataille's body was recovered from the lake on 26 January after a multi-day search.

Subsequently, police interviewed Singh on 28 February, following which he was charged with negligent homciide after investigators found that he was driving at an unsafe speed when the fatal I-68 crash happened.

While Singh had fled West Virginia at the time, he was later nabbed from California.

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The 37-year-old then pleaded guilty to the charges, and was sentenced to a year in prison, in addition to being fined $1,000 in October this year.

"The Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office has received confirmation from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office that Singh Sukhjinder has refused to waive extradition regarding the outstanding negligent homicide warrant for his arrest," a press release from the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office said,

"At this time, we are working closely with the Monongalia County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to secure a Governor’s Warrant through the Office of Governor Patrick Morrisey. We remain committed to ensuring justice is served and will provide further updates as this process progresses," it added.

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