An Indian national who authorities say entered the United States illegally through the southern border during the Biden administration has admitted guilt in connection with a deadly Southern California freeway crash that killed three people.
Jashanpreet Singh, 21, pleaded guilty to three felony counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence stemming from an October 2025 crash involving eight vehicles on the westbound 10 Freeway in Ontario, the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office said.
According to prosecutors, Singh was under the influence of drugs while operating a semi-truck when traffic ahead began slowing. His truck did not stop in time and slammed into seven other vehicles, including three additional semis, two pickup trucks and two passenger cars, setting off a devastating chain-reaction collision.
The California Highway Patrol reported that three people died and four others were hurt, among them Singh and a mechanic who had been assisting with a tire change on the freeway shoulder.
The district attorney’s office said Singh formally changed his plea from not guilty to guilty during a court hearing last month.
He is due to be sentenced July 14 in Rancho Cucamonga and is being held without bail at the Adelanto detention facility.
The Department of Homeland Security said Singh initially crossed into the United States through the southern border in 2022 and was released into the country under the Biden administration.
Following his October arrest, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged an immigration detainer against him on charges including vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving under the influence.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles confirmed Singh held a California commercial driver’s license, NBC reported.
A witness described hearing what sounded like an explosion as the red semi-truck driven by Singh barreled toward backed-up traffic.
“It didn’t stop. It didn’t swerve. It didn’t make any kind of maneuvers. It just went straight in,” Jason Calmelat told NBC.
The California Highway Patrol said traffic on the westbound freeway had slowed moments before the collision, but Singh’s truck did not stop before setting off the deadly chain reaction.
“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.
CHP Officer Rodrigo Jimenez described the aftermath as a massive emergency scene.
“It was one of those crashes where there were car parts everywhere. We had a hazardous material incident. It was a very large scene,” Jimenez told NBC.
“This could have been prevented if somebody had been paying attention sober.”
The Trump administration has since enacted a decisive “zero releases” policy, ensuring that apprehended illegals are immediately detained or swiftly deported rather than being turned loose into American communities while awaiting immigration hearings.
