Fiery I-10 Crash Video Emerges: Big Rig Driver, 21, Arrested on DUI and Manslaughter Charges
ONTARIO, CA — Horrific dashcam footage has surfaced of a massive, eight-vehicle pileup on Interstate 10 in Ontario, California, that claimed the lives of three people this week. The driver of the semi-truck, identified as 21-year-old Jashanpreet Singh of Yuba City, has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.
The chain-reaction crash occurred Tuesday afternoon on the westbound I-10, just east of the 15 Freeway, when a Freightliner tractor-trailer combination allegedly failed to slow down or stop for traffic that was already congested.
Dramatic Video Details: The widely circulated dashcam video, reportedly from the semi-truck itself, captures the terrifying moments leading up to the collision. It appears to show Singh’s truck barreling into the slow-moving traffic at high speed without applying the brakes, slamming first into an SUV and triggering a devastating pileup that involved four commercial trucks. The impact was so severe it ignited a large fire, according to witnesses and authorities.
Police Allegations and Charges: The California Highway Patrol (CHP) confirmed that Singh was arrested at the scene and transported to the hospital for treatment before being booked into the West Valley Detention Center. Officials determined the 21-year-old was driving under the influence of a substance, which was later verified by toxicology tests.
Singh faces multiple felony charges, including:
- Driving Under the Influence of Drugs Causing Bodily Injury
- Gross Vehicular Manslaughter While Intoxicated
Immigration Status Becomes a National Topic: Adding a political dimension to the tragedy, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials have confirmed that Singh has no lawful immigration status in the U.S. and is an Indian national who entered the country illegally in 2022. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has since lodged a detainer against him.
The crash has ignited a fierce debate online and among lawmakers regarding commercial driver licensing standards and immigration enforcement, especially as it follows a similar fatal crash in Florida just months ago involving another undocumented driver with a commercial license.
Victims Identified: Authorities have not yet formally identified the three victims killed in the crash, but reports indicate the fatalities include former Pomona High School assistant basketball coach Clarence Nelson and his wife, Lisa. Four other people were injured in the wreck.
Singh is currently being held without bail and is scheduled for a court appearance at the Rancho Superior Court in Rancho Cucamonga. The investigation is ongoing, and the CHP is also looking into whether Singh held a valid Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) at the time of the deadly accident.
