The semi-truck driver, accused of causing a deadly pile-up along the 10 Freeway in Ontario last month, appeared in court again Friday as prosecutors dropped the DUI charges against the man.
The preliminary hearing for Jashanprett Singh, 21, lasted all day in a Rancho Cucamonga courtroom as prosecutors outlined their case while Singh’s defense attorney questioned nearly every detail.
As new details were revealed during the hearing, a detective testified about Singh’s cellphone data analysis, saying his phone had been in use in the minutes leading up to the crash.
“There was usage through the application of WhatsApp as well as the notes application on the phone,” the detective said during the hearing.
And a motor carrier specialist testified that there were some problems with the truck’s braking system.
“There was a break that was out of adjustment,” the witness said. “The tractor has six brakes, and the trailer has four, so there’s a total of 10 brakes.”
As Singh’s attorneys aggressively questioned many of the details presented by the San Bernardino District Attorney’s Office, the defense grilled California Highway Patrol Officer Carlos Gonzalez, who had initiated the DUI investigation against Singh.
Court testimony revealed that after Officer Gonzalez spoke with Singh for about 45 minutes, he decided to do an intoxication investigation at the end of the conversation.
The district attorney’s office dropped the DUI charge against Singh after a toxicology report came out.
The DA’s office and Fast Track also shared new video footage that captured the moments leading up to the crash. It was shot from a distance as a fiery explosion occurred from the impact.
Sign was scheduled to be back in court next week for arraignment. While his DUI charge was dropped, Singh still faces vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and reckless driving charges.
Singh remained in custody at no bail.
Singh was allegedly driving a red semi-truck when he crashed into seven other cars on Oct. 21 — three semi-trucks, two pick-up trucks and two cars — at around 1:10 p.m. Tuesday.
Three people died, and three others were injured in the crash. One of the deceased was identified as Jaime Flores Garcia. The three injured people are Maria Macias, Juan Chavez Alvarez, Tamara Lynn Gay, according to the complaint.
Aside from the criminal proceedings, the immigration status of Singh. an Indian nationa, also sparked a debate over who’s responsible for allowing him to stay in the country without authorization for three years.
The Department of Homeland Security blamed the Biden administration, saying the prior administration issued Singh work authorization in April 2023. Federal officials also blamed the state of California for giving him a commercial driver’s license.
“This criminal illegal alien from India entered the country illegally at the southern border in 2022 and was RELEASED by the Biden Administration,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a statement.“There is no national CDL. The state of California issued this illegal alien Commercial Drivers License, which is beyond dumb — dangerous and deadly.”
But Governor Newsom’s office accused the Trump administration of twisting facts and exploiting the “tragic situation.”
“The FEDERAL government needs to look within before they cast blame outside,” Newsom’s office told NBCLA in a statement. “The FEDERAL government approved and renewed this individual’s FEDERAL employment authorization multiple times – which allowed him to obtain a commercial driver’s license in accordance with FEDERAL law.”
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