An emotional video circulating online shows Elizabeth Carter, a grieving mother, speaking to the Indian truck driver accused of killing her son and his newlywed wife in a highway crash in Oregon. Despite the loss of her son, Carter told the driver that she was praying for him and his family, acknowledging that he may not have intended to cause the tragedy.
“Hello Mr. Kumar, my name is Elizabeth Carter; I’m William Micah Carter’s mother,” she said to Rajinder Kumar, 32, in the video released by the Victims of Immigrant Crime Engagement (VOICE) office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Carter struggled to hold back her emotions as she spoke to Kumar through the passenger-side window of an ICE vehicle. Kumar appeared to struggle to meet her gaze as she continued.
“I pray for you and your family, I know you didn’t get up that morning planning to kill two newlyweds. And I know your family is going through something important too,” she told him.
The interaction took place earlier this month as federal immigration agents prepared to return Kumar to Oregon state custody, where he faces criminal prosecution over the deaths of the couple.
William Micah Carter, 25, and Jennifer Lynn Lower, 24, had been married for only 16 days when they died in the crash on Nov. 24, 2025. Their car collided with a commercial truck allegedly driven by Kumar on U.S. Highway 20 in Oregon.
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Investigators allege that Kumar’s tractor-trailer jackknifed across the highway, blocking both lanes of traffic. The couple’s Subaru Outback struck the truck, killing them at the scene.
Kumar was later indicted by a Deschutes County grand jury. He faces two counts of first-degree manslaughter and three counts of recklessly endangering another person. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The case has also brought attention to Kumar’s immigration history and how he obtained authorization to work in the United States.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Kumar entered the country unlawfully near Lukeville, Arizona, on Nov. 28, 2022. U.S. Border Patrol apprehended him, but he was later released into the country while his immigration removal proceedings were pending under the Biden administration.
Federal records cited by DHS state that Kumar received work authorization in 2023. He subsequently obtained a commercial driver’s license (CDL) from California, allowing him to drive commercial vehicles. DHS has criticized the circumstances surrounding his release and his ability to obtain the license.
Kumar was reportedly living in Fresno, California, before the crash, according to Oregon news outlet KTVZ.
Following his indictment, ICE filed an immigration detainer asking Deschutes County authorities to inform federal agents before releasing him from custody. However, county officials did not honor the detainer on April 2, and Kumar was released, according to federal authorities.
ICE agents later located and arrested him on April 22 as part of a separate immigration enforcement action. He was held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, while federal authorities pursued his removal case.
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ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) office in Seattle subsequently confirmed that Kumar had been returned to Oregon authorities so he could face the state criminal charges before any deportation order is carried out.
“Two Americans lost their lives, and their families deserve accountability,” Julio Hernandez, acting field office director for ICE ERO Seattle, said in a statement.
Hernandez said ICE had worked with local law enforcement to return Kumar to state custody, adding that the action would help ensure he answers the charges against him.
DHS has confirmed that federal deportation proceedings remain on hold while Oregon prosecutors pursue the criminal case. The case is pending in Deschutes County Circuit Court.
Although Kumar posted bail, he reportedly remained in custody because he could not provide a passport to surrender, a requirement linked to his release, according to KTVZ.
The case is now proceeding on two separate tracks: the state prosecution over the deaths of Carter and Lower, and the federal immigration proceedings that could lead to Kumar’s deportation. For the couple’s family, the criminal case remains a step toward accountability for the loss of two young lives.