Two of the three individuals tragically killed in a devastating semi-truck collision in Southern California on Tuesday have been identified as a beloved assistant basketball coach and his wife.
The San Bernardino County Coroner’s office confirmed that the victims are 76-year-old Clarence Nelson and his 69-year-old wife, Lisa Nelson, both from Fontana. The couple was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.
State Senator Susan Rubio took to Facebook to express her condolences, revealing that Clarence Nelson was a basketball coach at Pomona High School in Pomona, California.
“Our community has been profoundly affected by this tragic incident in Ontario,” Rubio stated. “It’s incredibly saddening to learn that two of the victims were from my district — Pomona High School basketball coach Clarence Nelson and his wife, Lisa.”
The fatal accident, which occurred on October 21, 2025, reportedly involved an unauthorized immigrant from India, who crashed into multiple vehicles in the area. Clarence Nelson was among the three people who lost their lives as a result.
Senator Rubio, reflecting on the impact of the tragedy, added, “As an educator, I understand how deeply a loss like this can affect an entire school community. My thoughts are with their families, the Pomona Unified School District, and everyone grieving this immense loss.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the school, though officials declined to comment.
The driver, 21-year-old Jashanpreet Singh, is an illegal immigrant from India who crossed the southern border in 2022 and was released by the Biden administration; he is now accused of causing the semi-truck crash that killed three people.
According to federal sources, Singh was first encountered by Border Patrol agents in California’s El Centro Sector in March 2022 and released into the interior pending an immigration hearing.
Jashanpreet Singh, a 21-year-old Indian national, allegedly drove a big rig while under the influence, leading to a California crash that killed at least three people Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)
Authorities say Singh was arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated after plowing his big rig into slow-moving traffic on the I-10 Freeway in San Bernardino County.
The crash, which was caught on dashcam video, left at least three people dead and several others injured. Police say Singh never hit the brakes before slamming into the traffic jam, citing toxicology tests that confirmed impairment.
DHS sources confirm he is not in lawful immigration status and that ICE has lodged an immigration detainer following his arrest.
Emergency crews responded to a multi-vehicle crash involving semi-trucks on the I-10 Freeway in San Bernardino County, Calif., on Oct. 21, 2025. (@BillMelugin via X)
The incident is the latest involving illegal immigrant truck drivers in the U.S.
In a separate case, Harjinder Singh — who crossed the southern border illegally in 2018 — obtained a commercial driver’s license in California and was accused of causing a crash in August in Fort Pierce, Florida, that killed three people.
Officials investigating that wreck said he failed English-language and road sign tests.
The crash follows the Trump administration’s announcement last week that it would withhold more than $40 million in federal highway safety funding from California for failing to comply with federal English-language proficiency standards for truck drivers.
