The prison sentence handed to an Indian truck driver convicted in a deadly California crash has triggered a wave of anger online, with many Americans arguing that the punishment does not match the severity of the crime.
Jashanpreet Singh, a 21-year-old Indian national who was identified by authorities as being in the United States illegally after reportedly entering the country in 2022, was sentenced on July 14 to four years and eight months in prison. The sentence came after he pleaded guilty to three counts of gross vehicular manslaughter in connection with a fatal crash that killed three people.
The collision happened in October 2025 on Interstate-10 near Ontario, California. According to authorities, Singh was driving a semi-truck when it crashed into stopped traffic, triggering an eight-vehicle pileup. The victims included Clarence Nelson, 76, a former high school coach, and his wife, Lisa Nelson, 69. Four other people were injured.
San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Shannon L. Faherty imposed the sentence after considering Singh’s age and lack of prior criminal history. Prosecutors had sought a 10-year prison term.
The ruling has since become the focus of widespread criticism on social media, where users have questioned why Singh received a sentence of less than five years despite the loss of three lives. Many posts also criticized Judge Faherty, with some calling the punishment too lenient.
An X user wrote: “The illegal alien truck driver from India who Biden released into our country who then kiIIed three people in California, was sentenced to under five years in prison
What a joke
What a slap in the face to the families of the victims”
READ: Illegal immigrant Jashanpreet Singh arrested after California crash; Trump admin flags ‘disturbing pattern’ (October 24, 2025)
Another post stated: “NEW: Illegal immigrant who killed 3 people after plowing his truck into multiple vehicles in Southern California, sentenced to just 5 years in prison.
Indian Jashanpreet Singh, who was under the influence of drugs when he crashed, entered the country during the Biden admin.
He made no attempt to swerve or stop the truck when he plowed into multiple cars on the 10 Freeway.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy previously said the accident could have been avoided.
‘It would have never happened if Gavin Newsom had followed our new rules. California broke the law and now three people are dead and two are hospitalized. These people deserve justice,’ Duffy said.
Singh pleaded guilty last month and has since been sentenced to just 5 years in prison.
Infuriating.”
Authorities, however, later said toxicology testing did not confirm the presence of the substances initially suspected. Prosecutors subsequently amended the case, removing the DUI allegations before Singh pleaded guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter.
Another social media user wrote: “Indian illegal alien Jashanpreet Singh — who killed several people in a semi truck — sentenced to a 4 YEARS IN PRISON
He caused several deaths in California and shouldn’t have been here in the first place.
Send him to a foreign prison after deporting him! GTFO.”
READ: ‘Jashanpreet stripped of his turban’: Outrage erupts after Sikh driver appears bareheaded in US court (October 29, 2025)
A separate post targeted the judge directly, saying:
“An illegal kills 3 innocent Americans in California.
The white liberal woman Judge gives him less than 5 years.
Shannon Faherty.
The illegal is dangerous but the white liberal woman judge is more dangerous to America.
The Judiciary is a disaster.”
Former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene also criticized the ruling, writing on X:
“This is outrageous.
Not only was he here illegally, he was on drugs driving a semi and killed people.
He only got 4 years and 8 months?!
Nonviolent Jan 6 protestors were given longer sentences than this and pro-life protesters were sentenced to 11 years, and they were Americans.”
Greene’s statement repeated allegations that Singh was under the influence at the time of the crash, although court records show toxicology testing did not confirm drug impairment. The prosecution ultimately proceeded without DUI charges.
Court records also show that Singh required a Punjabi interpreter during the proceedings.
Separately, Singh’s court appearance drew attention within the Sikh community after photographs showed him without a turban. As a practicing Sikh, wearing a turban is considered an important article of faith. Sikh advocacy groups criticized the decision, arguing that removing it violated his religious rights.
A Change.org petition titled “Demand justice for Jashanpreet and return his turban” was launched after his arrest in October 2025, urging authorities to return his turban and respect his religious identity while he remains in custody. The petition also accused law enforcement and sections of the media of unfairly portraying Singh following the crash.