A felony DUI charge against the 21-year-old truck driver involved in last month’s deadly 10 Freeway crash in Ontario has been dropped, after toxicology tests showed no traces of drugs or alcohol in his system.
Jashanpreet Singh, who was behind the wheel of a semi-truck that slammed into several stopped vehicles, killing three people, now faces amended charges of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and reckless driving causing injury.
The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that Singh’s blood tests came back negative, prompting prosecutors to remove the original driving under the influence charge.
Singh pleaded not guilty to the new charges during a court appearance in Rancho Cucamonga on Tuesday. His lawyer described the crash as a “tragic accident”, urging the court to grant bail, noting his young age and lack of prior record.
However, prosecutors argued that Singh acted with reckless disregard for human life, claiming he saw the slowing traffic ahead but failed to brake. Dashcam footage obtained by ABC7 shows the semi-truck ploughing into an SUV before smashing into several more vehicles.
Meanwhile, Singh’s immigration and employment status has sparked a dispute between California state officials and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
DHS claims Singh is an undocumented Indian national who entered the U.S. illegally via Mexico in 2022, while California officials maintain he was issued valid employment authorisation and a REAL ID extending his work eligibility through to 2030.
Adding to the controversy, the U.S. Department of Transportation has accused California of violating new federal rules on commercial driver licensing, which would have disqualified Singh based on his asylum status. The state has rejected the allegation, arguing that federal authorities themselves approved his work permits.
The case now centres on proving gross negligence – whether Singh’s failure to stop his vehicle before impact amounted to a reckless disregard for safety.
The fiery eight-vehicle pile-up claimed three lives, including a Pomona High School basketball coach and his wife, and left several others critically injured. Singh remains behind bars without bail.
The judge denied Singh bail, calling his conduct “reckless and dangerous.” He is due back in court on 6 November for a preliminary hearing.
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