A deadly truck crash in California involving an Indian American driver has triggered outrage online and reignited political debate in the United States around undocumented immigrants operating commercial vehicles.
The case went viral after a widely shared X post claimed that Manvir Singh, the truck driver arrested in connection with the fatal incident, is an undocumented immigrant from India who entered the U.S. illegally through Arizona in 2023.
The post stated: “Manvir Singh was just arrested in California for a fatal hit-and-run which left two dead after he crashed his big rig and hit three cars on a highway in Lodi, CA.
Sources at DHS tell me he is an ILLEGAL ALIEN from India. Singh came into the country illegally in Arizona in 2023 and was RELEASED into our country by the Biden Administration.
ICE is asking Gov Newsom and California sanctuary politicians to NOT release him onto the streets.
Singh now faces charges of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, hit and run resulting in death or injury, and obstructing/resisting a police officer.
How much more of this can we take?!”
According to federal officials, the crash happened near Lodi, California, and involved multiple vehicles. Authorities alleged that Singh was driving a semi-truck when he lost control, skidded off the roadway, and slammed into a guardrail before crashing into three other vehicles.
The impact of the collision reportedly killed two people instantly.
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Officials cited by reports said the crash created a chaotic scene on the highway, with emergency crews rushing to assist victims and clear the wreckage. Authorities alleged that Singh then attempted to flee the scene on foot before he was captured by deputies from the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office.
The Department of Homeland Security said Singh now faces multiple criminal charges, including vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, hit-and-run resulting in death or injury, and resisting or obstructing a police officer.
Federal authorities also said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has filed a detainer request with California officials, asking that Singh be held for possible transfer into federal custody if released locally.
According to reports citing DHS officials, Singh allegedly entered the United States illegally through Arizona in 2023 and was later released into the country.
The incident has rapidly become part of a larger political conversation surrounding immigration enforcement and commercial driving regulations.
DHS officials claimed Singh is the fourth truck driver with the surname “Singh” accused in a deadly crash involving undocumented immigrants since last year. Officials described the cases as part of what they see as a growing public safety issue involving undocumented commercial drivers.
“Allowing illegal aliens, many of whom do not know English, to obtain CDLs to operate 18-wheelers and transport hazardous materials on America’s roads is reckless and incredibly dangerous to public safety,” the officials said.
Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis strongly criticized the situation and called for tougher federal action.
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“This criminal illegal alien from India should never have been behind the wheel of a semi-truck and allowed to kill two innocent people in a multi-vehicle crash in California,” Bis said. “This is yet another example of why illegal aliens should not be operating trucks on American highways. We need Congress to pass Dalilah’s Law to prohibit states from granting illegal aliens commercial driver’s licenses.”
Dalilah’s Law is a proposed federal measure that would stop states from issuing commercial driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants.
The proposed legislation is named after Dalilah Coleman, a young girl who suffered life-altering injuries in a California crash in 2024 allegedly caused by an undocumented immigrant driver.
The latest crash has also brought renewed attention to several recent fatal roadway incidents involving members of the Indian and Indian American community.
Earlier this year, Indian American couple Krishna Kishore and his wife Asha were killed in a devastating highway crash after a truck allegedly driven by an intoxicated driver traveling in the wrong direction slammed into their vehicle.
Reports said the couple was traveling with their two children at the time of the collision. Kishore was identified as a software engineer.
The California crash involving Singh continues to draw widespread reactions online, with immigration policies, border security, and trucking regulations once again becoming central topics of national debate.