A California-based semi-truck driver accused of causing a fatal three-vehicle crash on a busy Washington state highway has been granted bail as investigators examine allegations of dangerous driving and logbook falsification.
Bill Melugin, a congressional correspondent for Fox News, said on X that a senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) source told him the driver, Kamalpreet Singh, 25, is an Indian national who was previously detained and released after illegally crossing the US border in December 2023. Those claims have not been independently verified by local authorities and were attributed to federal sources.
Responding to the crash, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on X that “unqualified illegal alien drivers are a public safety threat.” She added that President Trump and Secretary Duffy “will aggressively enforce our laws to protect the safety of American truckers, drivers, and passengers by ensuring anyone behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle is here legally, properly qualified, AND proficient in our national language — English!”
Singh, of Elk Grove, California, was arrested on Thursday morning and is under investigation for vehicular homicide following the crash on northbound State Route 167 near the SR-18 interchange in Auburn.
A King County judge later set bail at US$100,000 and ordered that Singh must not drive if he posts bond. He remains in custody at the King County Jail.
According to the Washington State Patrol (WSP), the crash occurred shortly after 7.14am when a 2020 Freightliner Cascadia semi struck a blue 2010 Mazda 3 that was stopped behind a white 2016 Peterbilt truck in heavy traffic. Troopers said the impact forced the Mazda into the Peterbilt, crushing the passenger car between the two trucks.
The Mazda’s driver, Robert B. Pearson, 29, of Bonney Lake, was pronounced dead at the scene.
As per Auburn Examiner, the court documents presented at Singh’s first appearance allege he made no attempt to brake or take evasive action before the collision. Investigators also claim Singh falsified his electronic logbook by listing a co-driver, with data suggesting the logbook may have been altered or disconnected.
The driver of the Peterbilt told police he was fully stopped in traffic and felt a single, heavy impact consistent with being hit by a large commercial vehicle.
As part of the investigation, authorities seized two iPhones from Singh pending a search warrant to examine factors including driving hours and possible distraction. Police have said there were no immediate signs of impairment.
ICE has lodged a detainer with King County law enforcement, according to Melugin’s post, while the State Patrol continues its investigation. Prosecutors stressed that a first appearance hearing is not a charging decision and that no felony charge has yet been filed, though a referral is expected in coming days. Singh is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
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