An Indian national who had entered the United States illegally has been arrested for causing a multi-vehicle crash in California last year that critically injured a five-year-old girl and left her with permanent disabilities.
Partap Singh, 28, was taken into custody last month by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and will remain detained pending immigration proceedings.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that in June 2024, Singh was driving a commercial 18-wheeler in California when he caused a multi-car pileup. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) report stated that Singh drove at an unsafe speed and failed to stop for traffic and a construction zone.
Singh had crossed the southern border illegally in October 2022 and was released into the U.S. under existing immigration procedures, DHS said. Despite his lack of legal status, he obtained a commercial driver’s license from California’s Department of Motor Vehicles.
The crash left five-year-old Dalilah Coleman critically injured. She was airlifted to a hospital and remained in a coma for three weeks, requiring six months of treatment. Her injuries included a broken femur, skull fractures, and a craniectomy during which half of her skull was removed for four months.
Coleman has since been diagnosed with diplegic cerebral palsy, global developmental delay, and will require lifelong therapy. Her stepfather, Michael Krause, was also hospitalized, along with several others involved in the accident.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem commented: “Dalilah Coleman’s life was forever changed when an illegal alien driving an 18-wheeler slammed into her and her family. This tragedy was entirely preventable."
"This is sadly another example of Newsom’s California Department of Motor Vehicles issuing an illegal individual a commercial driver’s license. How many more innocent people must become victims before Gavin Newsom stops playing games with American lives? DHS is working around the clock to remove dangerous aliens, like Singh, who have no right to be in the US,” she further added.
This case follows another similar incident involving an Indian national. In August, Harjinder Singh, who was living illegally in the US, was arrested for causing a fatal crash on a Florida highway while driving an 18-wheeler, killing three people. DHS noted that Harjinder Singh had also obtained a commercial driver’s license in California despite having no legal right to be in the country.
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