California semi-truck driver charged with vehicular manslaughter for the Ontario highway deaths of 3 makes court appearance
A 21-year-old semi-truck driver charged with three counts of vehicular manslaughter in connection with the highway deaths of three people in Ontario, hung his head throughout most of his court appearance on Tuesday -- a pre-preliminary hearing ahead of a Nov. 6 preliminary hearing.
Jashanpreet Singh, of Yuba City, was originally charged with driving under the influence of drugs, causing bodily injury, and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated for the Oct. 21 incident, but those charges were later amended as his toxicology results came back negative for drugs or alcohol.
The San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office said in an Oct. 31 news release that, "Toxicology reports confirmed none of the substances tested were present in the defendant's blood at the time the test was rendered."
Singh now faces three counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and one count of reckless driving on a highway causing a specified injury. Prosecutors have not said whether it's believed that Singh fell asleep at the wheel, was distracted, or what may have caused him to crash.
The District Attorney's Office said that the day of the crash, Singh was evaluated by a Drug Recognition Expert, "who was of the opinion that he was impaired." Once the comprehensive toxicology results were in, "Singh's charges were amended."
A California Highway Patrol investigation found that Singh failed to stop his truck before crashing into the back of another vehicle on the I-10 Freeway, causing a violent chain reaction crash that killed three people.
The Department of Homeland Security claims Singh is an undocumented immigrant who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in 2022 as an Indian national.
California transportation officials dispute those claims and say the federal government approved his Employment Authorization Documents, which allowed him to receive a REAL ID that confirmed his legal status. State officials say that his legal employment was extended from April 24, 2025, to Oct. 16, 2026, then again to Aug. 18, 2030.
Singh remains in custody without bail.