‘Unfair to single out Sikh drivers’: United Sikhs responds to White House post on crash cases in US

BATHINDA: An Indian-origin semi-truck driver from Punjab jumped a red light in the US, triggering a three-vehicle pile-up that killed a 64-year-old man.

According to reports, Sukhdeep Singh (25) has been arrested by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for the accident in Hendricks County, Indiana, on Feb 18. This is the fourth crash involving Indians, including three Sikh drivers, in six months in which nine people lost their lives


On Nov 24, 2025, Rajinder Kumar (32), an undocumented immigrant since 2022, was charged in Oregon after his semi-truck blocked two lanes, causing a crash that killed a newlywed couple.

On Oct 21, 2025, Jashanpreet Singh (21) was arrested in San Bernardino County, California, for a driving-under-influence-related crash that killed three people. He had entered the US through the southern border in 2022 and has been charged with gross vehicular manslaughter. On Aug 18, 2025, Harjinder Singh (25) was accused of killing three people in Florida following a reckless U-turn on a highway.

In response to a social media post from the White House regarding these accidents, the advocacy group United Sikhs issued a statement on Feb 12, cautioning that the post reflects unequal treatment of a minority community and urged the administration not to single out Sikh drivers.

It stated that according to an April 2025 report by the US department of transportation, there were 528,177 truck accidents in 2023, resulting in 5,472 fatalities. Another estimate shows 39,345 traffic-related fatalities in 2024, with approximately 40,000 fatalities in both 2021 and 2022.

"These tragic numbers represent nationwide roadway safety challenges across all communities. It would be inaccurate and inappropriate to imply that such incidents are all attributable to Sikhs," the group said.

In a related development, the Sikh Coalition is challenging a new rule issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) in early Feb. The rule seeks to limit the issuance of non-domiciled commercial drivers' licences (CDLs).

Advocates argue the rule uses unfounded safety claims to threaten the livelihoods of legal immigrant workers. This rule is set to take effect in 30 days unless halted by a court. A hearing regarding California's cancellation of immigrant CDLs is scheduled for Feb 25.