Indian trucker held in US for fatal crash

BATHINDA: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested an Indian-origin semi-truck driver with roots in Punjab after he allegedly jumped a red light and caused a three-vehicle pile-up that killed a 64-year-old man at Hendricks County in Indiana on Feb 18.

Sukhdeep Singh (25) is the fourth Indian-origin person and third Sikh immigrant to be arrested in the US in last six months for alleged rash driving, leading to crashes in which nine people died.

On Aug 18 last year, Harjinder Singh (25) was accused of killing three people in Florida after making what authorities said was a reckless U-turn on a highway. Two months later, Jashanpreet Singh (21) was arrested in California for allegedly driving under influence and triggering a crash that killed three people. He had entered the US through the southern border in 2022. On Nov 24, 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 pair of newlyweds.

After the White House shared a post about the accidents, advocacy group United Sikhs issued a statement, saying the statement reflected unequal treatment of a minority community. It urged govt not to single out Sikh drivers.

It cited an April 2025 govt report showing 528,177 truck accidents in 2023 that resulted in 5,472 fatalities. "These tragic numbers represent nationwide roadway safety challenges across all communities." Separately, the Sikh Coalition is challenging a new rule that seeks to limit the issuance of non-domiciled commercial drivers' licences.

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