A 21-year-old semi-truck driver arrested after a multi-vehicle pile-up that killed three people was issued a commercial driver’s license (CDL) by California, according to the White House. Jashanpreet Singh, an Indian national who entered the U.S. illegally in 2022, was detained on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and causing a fatal collision on the I-10 Freeway in San Bernardino County.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that California granted Singh a CDL and stated the Department of Transportation is investigating the issuance. She criticized the process, citing a “disturbing pattern” of licenses being given to individuals who do not qualify. Singh was apprehended by Border Patrol agents in March 2022 but released into the country pending an immigration hearing.
Authorities reported that Singh failed to apply his brakes before crashing into slow-moving traffic, triggering a chain reaction that killed three people. Toxicology results indicated he was impaired at the time of the accident. Two victims, Clarence Nelson and his wife Lisa, were identified. Nelson, a former assistant basketball coach, had recently worked at Rancho Cucamonga High School.
Four other individuals sustained injuries ranging from minor to severe and were hospitalized. Singh, who has not been formally charged, appeared in court on Thursday and remains jailed without bail. The Department of Transportation has intensified efforts to address the issuance of CDLs to undocumented immigrants following the incident.