Toxicology Clears Truck Driver Of DUI In Deadly Ontario, CA, Crash

India-West News Desk

ONTARIO, CA — The 21-year-old semi-truck driver who made national and political headlines after being accused of causing a deadly chain-reaction crash on the 10 Freeway in Ontario is no longer facing DUI charges after toxicology tests confirmed he was not under the influence at the time of the incident, prosecutors said.

Jashanpreet Singh, of Yuba City, had initially been charged with driving under the influence of drugs and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated following the October 22 crash that killed three adults.

However, the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office has announced that toxicology reports found “none of the substances tested were present in the defendant’s blood at the time the test was rendered.”

As a result, the DUI-related counts were dropped, and an amended complaint filed now charges Singh with three counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and one count of reckless driving on a highway causing injury.

Authorities have not yet determined what caused Singh to fail to stop before slamming into the back of another vehicle, triggering the fatal pileup. The California Highway Patrol continues to investigate whether fatigue, distraction, or other factors played a role, reports say.

The Department of Homeland Security has claimed Singh is an undocumented immigrant who crossed the U.S.–Mexico border in 2022. However, California transportation officials have disputed that claim, saying federal authorities issued him valid Employment Authorization Documents, which enabled him to obtain a REAL ID confirming his legal status and extending his work authorization through August 18, 2030.

Singh remains in custody without bail, and it is unclear whether his court appearance scheduled for Tuesday will be rescheduled in light of the revised charges.