Another fiery crash involving an illegal immigrant truck driver in California has claimed the lives of two people who were killed instantly, authorities said.
Police arrested Manvir Singh, 24, from India, after he tried to flee from the fatal multi-vehicle crash scene on May 19 near Lodi, California.
Singh now faces charges of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, hit-and-run resulting in death or injury, and obstructing/resisting a police officer, according to jail records. He was booked into San Joaquin County Jail, with bail set at $185,000.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has since lodged a detainer against Singh, asking California’s sanctuary officials to not release him after the deadly crash.
California Highway Patrol arrested Indian illegal alien Manvir Singh May 19 after he allegedly caused a multi-vehicle crash that killed two when the semi-truck he drove veered off the road.
It’s not clear yet whether he had one of the many CDL licenses issued to illegal aliens… pic.twitter.com/duxm4nsUpZ
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) May 26, 2026
According to U.S. Department of Homeland Security records, Singh crossed the border illegally in Arizona in July of 2023 and was released by the Biden Administration.
Singh is the latest in a growing list of foreign-born truck drivers linked to deadly crashes on America’s roadways, which has prompted the attention of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
“In February of this year, I issued a rule to stop unqualified, untrained foreign drivers like this accused killer from getting CDLs to drive on America’s roads,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy shared on X.
🚨California issued this driver a commercial driver’s license in March 2025🚨
In February of this year, I issued a rule to stop unqualified, untrained foreign drivers like this accused killer from getting CDLs to drive on America’s roads.
RIGHT NOW: @FMCSA investigators are… https://t.co/j7EwCRzMF5
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) May 21, 2026
He added that “California issued this driver a commercial driver’s license in March 2025. RIGHT NOW: @FMCSA investigators are looking into how this illegal got his CDL and will investigate the trucking company who employed this driver.”
Singh’s arrest also marks the fourth illegal immigrant truck driver with the last name “Singh” accused in a fatal crash since last year, DHS said. A series of fatal big rig crashes across the country highlights what officials describe as a growing trend involving illegal immigrant commercial drivers from India.
“Allowing illegal aliens, many of whom do not know English, to obtain CDLs to operate 18-wheelers and transport hazardous materials on America’s roads is reckless and incredibly dangerous to public safety,” DHS officials said.
The multi-vehicle crash occurred around 12:20 p.m. Tuesday on northbound Highway 99 near Lodi in San Joaquin County. Lodi is about 35 miles southeast of Sacramento.
According to local reports, the crash triggered a chain-reaction accident involving three other vehicles and instantly killed two people. Five others were injured and two sustained major injuries.
DHS shared a news clip from CBS News 13 Sacramento that reported investigators determined Singh’s semi failed to stop and slammed into the back of a Kia Forte, pushing it into two other vehicles that had also slowed down. The Kia and big rig veered off the highway and crashed into a guardrail.
Singh allegedly tried to flee on foot before San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office deputies tracked him down and took him into custody, according to The Legal Advocate.
The California Highway Patrol said four vehicles were involved in the crash, and the cause of the accident remains under active investigation. Photos released from the crash scene show one badly damaged car smashed up against the guardrail.
“This is yet another example of why illegal aliens should not be operating trucks on American highways,” DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said. “We need Congress to pass Dalilah’s Law to prohibit states from granting illegal aliens commercial driver’s licenses.”
Dalilah’s Law is a proposed federal law that would bar any state from granting commercial driver’s licenses to illegal aliens. It is named after Dalilah Coleman, a young girl who sustained life-changing injuries from a crash in June 2024 involving another Indian truck driver.
Partap Singh, who was in the country illegally, caused a multi-car pileup while driving a commercial 18-wheeler in the sanctuary state of California. He also obtained a commercial driver’s license in the state.
“Dalilah’s law would have revoked this illegal trucker’s license,” Duffy added on X. “Congress must pass Dalilah’s Law NOW.”
Partap Singh was allowed to walk free for more than a year, until ICE arrested Singh in August 2025 in Fresno, California, pursuant to a warrant for his arrest. DHS said Singh was another Biden-era release who illegally crossed the southern border in October 2022.
