An immigrant from India has pleaded guilty to his role in a fatal eight-vehicle pileup on the 10 Freeway in Ontario, California, that killed three people and injured four others. Jashanpreet Singh, 21, pleaded guilty to three counts of felony vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, according to the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors stated that Singh, while under the influence of drugs, was driving a semi-truck when traffic ahead slowed. His rig failed to stop, striking seven other vehicles and triggering a catastrophic chain-reaction crash in October 2025. Three people were killed, and four others were injured, including Singh and a mechanic who had been changing a tire on the freeway shoulder.
Singh changed his plea from not guilty to guilty during a hearing last month and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 14. He remains jailed without bail. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Singh first entered the United States through the southern border in 2022 and was released into the country under the Biden Administration. Following his arrest in October, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged an immigration detainer against him on charges including vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving under the influence. The California Department of Motor Vehicles confirmed Singh held a California commercial driver’s license.
A witness described hearing what sounded like an explosion as the semi-truck barreled toward backed-up traffic. "It didn’t stop. It didn’t swerve. It didn’t make any kind of maneuvers. It just went straight in," Jason Calmelat told NBC. The California Highway Patrol reported that traffic had slowed moments before the collision, but Singh’s truck did not stop. Calmelat added, "The truck rolled and veered to the right into the embankment, and I saw the truck driver jump out because it was on fire."
CHP Officer Rodrigo Jimenez described the aftermath as a massive emergency scene, noting, "It was one of those crashes where there were car parts everywhere. We had a hazardous material incident. It was a very large scene."