(ONTARIO, Calif.) -- The driver of a semi-truck that slammed into multiple vehicles, killing three people, on a California highway was allegedly under the influence of drugs, authorities said.
The driver -- identified by authorities as 21-year-old Jashanpreet Singh -- has been charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving under the influence of a drug causing injury in connection with Tuesday's chain-reaction crash on Interstate 10 in Ontario, according to a criminal complaint.
He is in the United States illegally and an immigration detainer has also been placed on him, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Authorities said Singh was driving a Freightliner semi-truck and failed to stop in time when traffic in his lane had slowed or stopped Tuesday afternoon. Three people were killed and at least three others injured in the multi-vehicle crash, according to the complaint.
Dash camera footage of the crash showed the truck slam into multiple vehicles in a fiery crash, then veer off into the shoulder and ram into additional vehicles before coming to a stop.
The San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office, which filed charges against Singh on Thursday, said eyewitness and dashcam footage showed him "traveling at a high rate of speed into stopped traffic," resulting in a "massive and chaotic scene."
San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson called the incident a "heinous tragedy" that was "easily avoidable if the defendant was not driving in a grossly negligent manner and impaired."
"Had the rule of law been followed by State and Federal officials the defendant should have never been in California at all," he added in a statement.
Eight vehicles, including four commercial vehicles, were involved in the crash, according to the California Highway Patrol.
"This is sadly a reminder of how precious life is and how fast it could be taken away at the hands of somebody who is driving irresponsibly, somebody who is impaired," California Highway Patrol Officer Rodrigo Jimenez told Los Angeles ABC station KABC.
Singh, of Yuba City, was arrested at the scene under suspicion of DUI, officials said.
The San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office said it filed three counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and one count of DUI causing injury against Singh, noting additional charges may be filed pending further investigation.
He is being held without bail and his arraignment has yet to be scheduled. Prosecutors said they will continue to request no bail "based on the seriousness of the offense and his flight risk."
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has also lodged an arrest detainer for Singh, according to DHS, which said he is in the U.S. illegally from India, entering through the southern border in 2022.
"This tragedy follows a disturbing pattern of criminal illegal aliens driving commercial vehicles on American roads, directly threatening public safety," DHS said on X.
The department cited the arrest last week of a man, which it said is in the country illegally, over a deadly crash in Indiana. DHS said the man was driving a semi-truck without a valid commercial license when he swerved into oncoming traffic and collided with a vehicle, killing the driver.
Singh has a valid commercial driver's license that expires in October 2026, KABC reported, according to the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed in a press briefing Thursday that California issued him the commercial driver's license.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reacted with outrage to the incident.
"This is exactly why I set new restrictions that prohibit ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS from operating trucks," he said on X on Thursday.
Since taking office, Duffy has issued an order announcing new guidelines to strengthen English language enforcement for commercial truck operators, following an executive order from President Donald Trump that reinforced English requirements for truck drivers.
Last week, Duffy said the Transportation Department will withhold $40 million from California after an investigation found it to be the only state failing to enforce English language requirements for truckers.
"This is exactly why @USDOT has withheld $40 MILLION from California for failure to comply with our rules to protect drivers," Duffy said on X on Wednesday in response to the deadly crash. "We cannot allow our roads to be a dangerous place!"
The investigation came after a deadly Florida collision in August involving a foreign truck driver who authorities said made an illegal U-turn on a highway and caused a crash that killed three people. The driver was charged with three counts of vehicular homicide.
Florida authorities have said the driver, who is from India, entered the country illegally from Mexico in 2018.
When interviewed, the driver did not speak English, according to DOT. He had been issued a non-domiciled commercial driver's license by California in 2024, as well as a regular commercial driver's license by Washington state in 2023, DOT said.
California officials said he had a valid work permit at the time.
In September, Duffy announced stricter eligibility requirements for noncitizens seeking non-domiciled commercial learner's permits and commercial driver's licenses.
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