An illegal immigrant truck driver from India was arrested Tuesday after authorities said he caused a deadly multi-vehicle crash in California and then tried to flee the scene.
Federal officials identified the suspect as Manvir Singh, who is accused of killing two people near Lodi, California. The Department of Homeland Security said Singh entered the United States illegally through Arizona in 2023 and was later released under the Biden administration.
The crash happened around 12:20 p.m. when Singh allegedly drove off the road, struck a guardrail and triggered a collision involving three other vehicles, according to reports citing the California Highway Patrol.
Authorities said Singh attempted to leave the crash scene on foot before deputies with the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office arrested him.
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Singh now faces several charges, including vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, hit-and-run resulting in death or injury and resisting or obstructing a police officer.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged a detainer request asking California authorities to hold Singh so he can be transferred into federal custody.
The case has drawn national attention because federal officials said Singh was an illegal immigrant operating a commercial truck at the time of the fatal crash.
DHS officials argued that people unlawfully present in the United States should not be allowed to obtain commercial driver’s licenses or operate large trucks on American highways.
Officials also said the case highlights broader concerns over commercial drivers who may not meet safety, immigration or language requirements.
The department claimed Singh’s arrest marks the fourth case since last year involving an illegal immigrant truck driver with the last name Singh accused in a fatal crash.
Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said the suspect should never have been behind the wheel of a semi-truck.
“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,” Bis said.
She also called on Congress to pass Dalilah’s Law, a proposed measure that would prevent states from issuing commercial driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.
The bill is named after Dalilah Coleman, a young girl who suffered severe injuries in a 2024 California crash allegedly caused by an illegal immigrant driver.
Federal officials pointed to several recent deadly crashes involving illegal immigrant commercial drivers as evidence that stronger rules are needed.
In one case last December, officials said an American was killed by a Chinese national and commercial driver’s license holder who allegedly failed an English proficiency test after the crash.
In another case, illegal immigrant Harjinder Singh was arrested in Florida in August after allegedly making an illegal U-turn through an “Official Use Only” access point, causing a crash that killed three people.
The California case is expected to intensify debate over immigration enforcement, commercial trucking safety and whether states should be allowed to issue commercial licenses to people unlawfully present in the country.
🚨BREAKING SCOOP🚨
Manvir Singh was just arrested in California for a fatal hit-and-run which left two dead after he crashed his big rig and hit three cars on a highway in Lodi, CA
Sources at DHS tell me he is an ILLEGAL ALIEN from India. Singh came into the country illegally… pic.twitter.com/NUNEgUM0PO
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) May 20, 2026
