Indian-origin truck driver sentenced to 6 yrs in jail for 2022 accident that killed 2 people

Baljeet Singh entered a guilty plea this April. He admitted to playing a game on his phone while driving tractor trailer on a highway near the city of Montreal

Toronto: Citing his lack of judgment for playing a game on his cellphone while behind the wheel, a Canadian judge has sentenced an Indian-origin truck driver to six years in jail for his part in a major traffic mishap in 2022 that claimed two lives.

Police officers work at the site of a crash at the Tsawwassen Mills mall in Tsawwassen Mills, British Columbia, Canada (Photograph for representative purpose only). (REUTERS)

The sentence was announced by Quebec Court Judge Sacha Blais against 30-year-old Baljeet Singh on Wednesday, according to a report in the French language outlet Noovo Info. Singh also faces a 10-year driving ban.

Singh entered a guilty plea this April with regard to dangerous driving causing death and bodily harm. He also admitted to playing a game on his phone while driving tractor trailer on a highway near the city of Montreal.

His actions on July 19, 2022, resulted in a seven-vehicle accident and the deaths of 42-year-old Nancy Lefrançois and her 11-year-old son Loïc Chevalier.

The judge described Singh’s driving as “negligent and demonstrated his disregard for the lives of others”, while slamming his “total lack of judgement” in playing a video game while on the road.

An agreement statement of facts presented before the court pointed out that Singh had fled to India after voluntarily meeting with Sureté du Québec investigators, the local law enforcement, and claiming to have no recollection of the collision.

A Canadawide arrest warrant was issued in 2023 and he was finally located in the United States on August 21, 2025. He was arrested there and sent back to Canada to face trial.

He also expressed his remorse over the part he played in the tragedy. “He expresses his regret to the victims, their loved ones, and his family,” the court was informed.

According to a review of his dashboard camera, he committed over 40 traffic infractions over the last three trips he had undertaken, the report said.