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An illegal immigrant truck driver was arrested Tuesday after allegedly causing a deadly multi-vehicle crash in California and attempting to flee the scene, federal officials said.
The undocumented immigrant from India, Manvir Singh, instantly killed two people near Lodi, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) alleged.
Singh, who faces multiple charges, reportedly entered the U.S. illegally through Arizona in 2023 and was later released by the Biden administration, federal officials told Fox News.
His arrest also marks the fourth illegal immigrant truck driver with the last name “Singh” accused in a fatal crash since last year, DHS said, highlighting what officials described as a growing trend involving illegal immigrant commercial drivers from India.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CAUGHT DRIVING COMMERCIAL TRUCK WITH VALID NEW YORK CDL AT CALIFORNIA CHECKPOINT
A catastrophic multi-vehicle crash involving a semi-truck left two people dead near Lodi, California, on May 19, 2026. (Department of Homeland Security)
“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,” officials said.
Around 12:20 p.m., Singh reportedly skidded off a road and struck a guardrail, triggering a crash involving three other vehicles, according to Legal Advocate, citing the California Highway Patrol.
He then attempted to flee the wreckage on foot before officials with the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office were able to apprehend him, officials said.
Manvir Singh was arrested by the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office near Lodi, California, on May 19, 2026, following a fatal multi-vehicle crash. (Department of Homeland Security)
Singh faces multiple charges, including vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, hit-and-run resulting in death or injury and resisting or obstructing a police officer, DHS said.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has also lodged a detainer request, asking California authorities to hold the suspect for transfer into federal custody.
“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,” Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren 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 bar states from issuing commercial driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. It is named after Dalilah Coleman, a young girl who suffered life-changing injuries in a 2024 crash in California allegedly caused by an illegal immigrant driver.
Tuesday’s crash marks just one of several recent incidents involving illegal immigrant truck drivers accused of deadly crashes, officials said.
ICE has lodged a detainer, asking California Gov. Gavin Newsom to not release the undocumented immigrant accused of causing a fatal multi-vehicle pileup before running from the scene. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
In April, ICE arrested an illegal immigrant truck driver who was issued a CDL in California. He was accused of killing a newly married couple in Oregon on Nov. 24, 2025. Authorities said he was initially released from jail in a sanctuary jurisdiction before later being arrested by federal agents.
In February, another illegal immigrant truck driver in Pennsylvania was accused of killing four people on Feb. 3 after swerving into oncoming traffic and striking a van head-on.
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Last December, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) said an American was killed by a Chinese national and CDL holder who allegedly failed an English proficiency test after the crash. DHS said the driver entered the United States from Mexico in 2023.
In August, illegal immigrant Harjinder Singh was arrested on three counts of vehicular homicide after allegedly attempting an illegal U-turn through an “Official Use Only” access point in St. Lucie County, Florida. Authorities said the reckless maneuver blocked all lanes of traffic, causing a crash that killed three people.