Mother of Crash Victim Confronts Driver Accused in Son's Death

A grieving mother confronted the immigrant truck driver accused of killing her newlywed son and his wife in a highway collision. Elizabeth Carter approached Rajinder Kumar, 32, as he was being transferred by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to Oregon to face manslaughter charges.

Instead of expressing anger towards Kumar, who is accused of causing the deaths of her son, William Micah Carter, 25, and his bride, Jennifer Lynn Lower, 24, Carter told him she had been praying for him. "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 said in an exchange captured on video by ICE's Victims of Immigrant Crime Engagement (VOICE) office.

The young couple, married for 16 days, were killed on November 24, 2025, when Kumar allegedly jackknifed his commercial tractor-trailer across U.S. Highway 20, blocking both lanes. Their vehicle struck the truck, resulting in their deaths at the scene.

Kumar was indicted by a Deschutes County grand jury on two counts of first-degree manslaughter and three counts of recklessly endangering another person. He has pleaded not guilty.

According to immigration and court records, Kumar entered the United States illegally near Lukeville, Arizona, on November 28, 2022. Border Patrol apprehended him, and he was later released pending immigration proceedings. He obtained federal work authorization and a California commercial driver's license, allowing him to operate trucks while his immigration case was ongoing.

Following his indictment in Oregon, ICE issued a detainer requesting Deschutes County Jail notify federal agents before releasing Kumar. However, county officials released Kumar on April 2 under Oregon's sanctuary policies. Federal immigration agents located and arrested him on April 22. He was taken to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, for removal proceedings.

The federal government has since paused deportation proceedings to allow Oregon prosecutors to pursue the criminal case. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Seattle confirmed Kumar had been returned to Deschutes County custody to stand trial. "Two Americans lost their lives, and their families deserve accountability," acting Field Office Director Julio Hernandez stated. "ICE worked closely with law enforcement partners to ensure Kumar is returned to state custody to answer for the serious charges against him."

Kumar's criminal trial is pending in Deschutes County Circuit Court, with any federal deportation action postponed until the state proceedings conclude.