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'Hard to make dollars': Friend of illegal Indian trucker who killed 3 in fiery California crash
An Indian semi-truck driver who killed three people in California had come to the US in search of a better life, says his friend.
An Indian semi-truck driver who killed three people in California while driving under the influence had entered the United States illegally, according to the Department of Homeland Security. 21-year-old Jashanpreet Singh was arrested following a deadly crash in Ontario, California on Tuesday that left three people dead and four injured.
Singh was allegedly high on drugs at the time of the crash, which occurred when his semi-truck slammed into slow-moving traffic on the 10 Freeway in Ontario.
Entered US illegally
The Department of Homeland Security told CBS News that Jashanpreet Singh is an Indian national who entered the US by crossing the US-Mexico border illegally in 2022.
On Tuesday, he was driving a Freightliner tractor-trailer when he crashed into an SUV and several other vehicles. The collision set off a chain reaction involving eight vehicles, including four big rigs.
Singh was arrested in connection with the eight vehicle collision and has been charged with driving under the influence of drugs, causing bodily injury, and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.
In search of a better life
After entering the United States illegally, Jashanpreet Singh had been living in Yuba County, California.
CBS reporters spoke to Singh’s friend, Gurjot Malhar, on Wednesday evening. Malhar said that Singh had come to the US in search of a better life and described him as an “amazing” guy.
"He's an amazing guy. ... He would talk normally, happily, always with love and care," Malhar said. “He was like a brother to me.”
"Coming from India, it's gonna be hard to make dollars here. ... So, he wanted to keep going. His big step was trying to be a truck driver,” added Malhar.
It is not immediately clear if Singh was driving with a valid commercial driver's license at the time of the accident. The US had stopped issuing worker visas for commercial truck drivers in August.
(Also read: Florida truck crash by Indian driver sparks row between Trump adminstration, California governor)
