Another truck crash at the hands of an illegal immigrant has claimed the lives of innocent people, this time in Ontario, California. Four adults were killed instantly when 21-year-old Jashanpreet Singh, who was driving his tractor-trailer under the influence of drugs, caused an eight-car pileup on the West Coast highway. One of the cars involved was so crushed and burned that investigating authorities still cannot determine its make or model.
The incident is reminiscent of one that took place just in August, when 28-year-old Harjinder Singh- also an Indian national living less than 90 miles from Jashanpreet Singh in Northern California- made an illegal U-turn on a Florida Highway, killing three people. Both entered the United States over the Southern Border, were apprehended, but released by the Biden Administration’s immigration enforcement.
The man responsible for Florida’s August disaster currently faces three counts of vehicular homicide and three counts of manslaughter and could serve up to forty-five years if convicted. He also possessed two Commercial Driver’s Licenses- one from Washington and one from California- despite failing the test more than ten times, struggling with English proficiency, and not being a US citizen.
Jashanpreet Singh was granted a CDL from the state of California, despite the same disqualifications as Harjinder. He has been arrested and charged with vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving under the influence. The same week as his accident, another illegal immigrant in Indiana caused a traffic fatality in a semi-truck. Although Borko Stankovic did not possess a CDL and was rather carrying an expired one issued to a family member, he had been in the United States illegally since 2011, and two trucking companies he owned received a combined $36,082 in Paycheck Protection Program loans during the pandemic. Stankovic, originally from Serbia and Montenegro, had also been arrested in 2018 but not faced deportation. He is currently under an immigration detainer along with the other two suspects- if local authorities cooperate, they will be turned over post-processing for further proceedings by ICE.
There also exists a small possibility that Singh’s actions were tantamount to terrorism, as there is no indication that he made any attempt to engage the brakes of his big rig before slamming into the back of a minivan. Whether intentional or not, his possession of a CDL and ongoing employment as a commercial truck driver were entirely inappropriate and ultimately proved deadly for innocent Americans. While 19 states and the District of Columbia currently allow illegal immigrants to obtain regular driver's licenses, they are not to be used for federal identification, and CDLs are excluded altogether.
Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom may now find himself embroiled in significant controversy as he approaches the end of his second- and statutorily final- term in office. Not only should Singh never have possessed a CDL, but the Department of Transportation had also sent an audit letter to Newsom’s administration at the end of September, pointing out flaws in the licensing system and providing guidance on recovering the improper licenses. Despite this federal intervention, the state of California actually upgraded Jashanpreet Singh’s license just days before the crash.
How should the United States deal with already licensed illegal immigrants? Should states that facilitate their driving face punishment from the federal government?
Hilary Gunn is a Connecticut native with a degree in Criminal Justice from the George Washington University. She works for a nonprofit and has previously collaborated with the CT GOP as an activist, political campaign manager and field director, and social media organizer. She is currently serving in her fourth term of municipal office and has previously acted as a delegate on the Republican Town Committee.