RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. — An initial DUI charge against the truck driver in last month’s deadly eight-vehicle pileup crash has been dropped after toxicology results came back negative for drugs or alcohol.
Jashanpreet Singh, 21, pleaded not guilty to his new charges in a Rancho Cucamonga courtroom Tuesday. He’s now facing vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and reckless driving charges in connection to the fiery crash in Ontario that left three people dead, including a Pomona High School basketball coach and his wife.
His defense attorney calls the deadly pileup a tragic accident, but the prosecution says the driver’s actions were reckless, and that he saw the slowing and stopped traffic but continued on, plowing into the victims.
“There is no intoxication which makes him significantly less of a danger to the community,” said Jason Tucker with the San Bernardino County Public Defender’s Office.
Eyewitness News obtained dash camera video of the violent crash, showing Singh’s semitruck plowing into several stopped vehicles along the 10 Freeway.
The violent crash was captured on dashcam video obtained exclusively by ABC7. It shows a semi-truck slam into the back of an SUV and then plow into multiple other vehicles in the same lane.
His public defender urged the judge to set bail, calling the crash a tragedy, not a crime.
“This is an accident, it’s a tragic accident, but it is an accident. It’s not something that’s done on purpose,” Tucker said. “Notably, he is 21 years old. He has no record, and there is no indication that he is a flight risk.”
But the prosecution pushed back, saying Singh’s actions behind the wheel were not only reckless, but deadly.
“The defendant indicated that he saw the stopped and slowing traffic in front of him and continued to drive, and that is the evidence we have in front of the court,” said Jamie Cimino with the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office. “Three people died, many others severely injured. One of the victims was so severely injured that every single day after the accident for approximately a week, she had major surgeries.”
The prosecution also questioned Singh’s immigration status, saying his limited time in the U.S. makes him a possible flight risk.
Judge Peel denied bail, ruling Singh posed a potential risk to the community based on what he called “reckless actions.” He’s due back in court on Nov. 6 for a preliminary hearing.
How did the driver obtain his CDL?
Singh was able to obtain his commercial driver’s license (CDL) through both state and federal processes that were in place at the time. However, those processes changed on a federal level on Sept. 26, just over a month before the deadly crash.
The Department of Homeland Security issued an immigration arrest detainer on Singh, who they say entered the U.S. illegally from India in 2022.
According to Department of Motor Vehicles records, Singh did have a valid commercial driver’s license to operate a semitruck.
The Department of Transportation (DOT) released what it calls a “bombshell” report, accusing California of violating federal law by allowing Singh to continue driving when he should have been disqualified.
The report says the state failed to enforce an emergency rule issued in September — one that tightened licensing requirements for all non-U.S. citizens.
In June, California issued Singh — who is an asylum seeker — a restricted, non-domiciled CDL with a “K” restriction, limiting driving to in-state.
In September, the federal government paused all issuances of non-domiciled CDLs.
In October, Singh turned 21, and his “K” restriction was removed. DOT officials say, if California had followed the new rule, Singh’s license would have been denied because of his status as an asylum seeker.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office pushed back on those claims, saying:
“The federal government approved and renewed this individual’s federal employment authorization multiple times – which allowed him to obtain a commercial driver’s license in accordance with federal law.”
According to the California State Department of Transportation, Singh was issued a federal work permit authorization until 2030.
The DOT is threatening to withhold nearly $40 million in funding for California if the state does not start complying with the new rules put in place since September.
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