Who is Kamalpreet Singh? Indian truck driver charged in fatal Washington crash

Kamalpreet Singh

An Indian national charged in a fatal truck crash in Washington state had previously been detained for illegally entering the United States but was later released, according to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), fuelling renewed scrutiny of immigration enforcement and commercial driver oversight.

The driver, identified as 25-year-old Kamalpreet Singh, faces vehicular homicide charges in King County after his Freightliner Cascadia collided with a stopped car on State Route 167 near Auburn, killing 29-year-old Robert B. Pearson of Bonney Lake. The crash occurred just after 7 a.m. on Thursday as traffic slowed during the morning commute.

According to Washington State Patrol investigators, two vehicles had already come to a halt in the northbound lane when Singh failed to brake in time. His semi-truck struck a blue 2010 Mazda 3 from behind, crushing it between his truck and a white 2016 Peterbilt ahead.

This is EXACTLY why states must comply with @USDOT’s rules. The time is NOW. https://t.co/ghrAQBJ4RK

— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) December 12, 2025

The Mazda briefly caught fire before troopers extinguished the flames. Singh and the driver of the Peterbilt were not injured. Authorities said drugs and alcohol were not involved, and the cause of the crash remains under investigation.

ICE officials said Singh had been arrested by US Border Patrol agents in Lukeville, Arizona, on December 24, 2023, after crossing into the country illegally. He was subsequently released into the US. ICE has since placed a detainer on Singh, requesting custody if he is released from local jail.

The case has prompted political reaction in Washington, D.C. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy cited the incident while renewing calls for stricter enforcement of federal commercial driver regulations, saying gaps in oversight put motorists at risk.

The White House also weighed in. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the incident as a public safety concern.

“As I said during the White House press briefing yesterday, unqualified illegal alien drivers are a public safety threat,” Leavitt said. She added that President Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean 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.”

Immigration officials stressed that Singh has no connection to two other Indian nationals with the same surname who are facing vehicular homicide charges in separate crashes in California and Florida.

Local prosecutors in King County are continuing to review the case as the ICE detainer remains active. The incident has intensified debate over border policy and trucking safety standards, with investigators examining how an undocumented individual was able to obtain work operating a heavy commercial vehicle before the fatal crash.