Kin of US trucker who killed 3 claim he isn’t into drugs, seek SGPC help

The parents of Jashanpreet Singh, a truck driver who was involved in a gruesome eight-vehicle crash in Ontario in California, US, that left three persons dead and four injured, have claimed that their son was a baptised Sikh and in no way involved in intoxicants. The family has appealed to the Akal Takht and the SGPC to take up the issue with the US government.

Jashanpreet (21) is a native of the sleepy town of Puranashala, 8 km from Gurdaspur, on the Mukerian road. He has been arrested under charges of “gross vehicular manslaughter, using drugs while driving and causing bodily injury”.

His father, Ravinder Singh, drives a local school bus for a living, while his mother, Jasveer Kaur, is a homemaker. His sister, Simranjit Kaur, was distraught and refused to talk to anybody till “her brother is cleared of the dope charges”.

The family had paid Rs 40 lakh to a travel agent to send Jashanpreet abroad.

Ravinder Singh said his son regularly took part in nagar kirtans and “would often dress up as one of the Panj Pyaras”. He showed photographs of Jashanpreet taking part in religious processions. “He was a religious boy and far away from drugs,” he said.

When told that the toxicology report had proved that Jashanpreet was driving under the influence of drugs, Ravinder Singh refuted the claims. “More than anything else, this drug issue should be settled once and for all. This is really hurting us. At the same time, we offer our condolences to the bereaved families,” he said.

“I appeal to the Akal Takht and the SGPC to talk to the Indian Consulate General in California. Jashanpreet was a baptised Sikh and we are hopeful that the SGPC will come to our rescue in our moment of crisis,” said Jasveer Kaur.

“The news of the accident has come as a shock to us. Destiny has its own way. We had made elaborate plans for our son, which have now come to a naught. We had mortgaged our family home to let Jashanpreet have a financially secure future,” said Ravinder Singh.

Jashanpreet had reached the US in November 2022 after crossing its southern border. He was arrested by border patrol officials but was released under a US government’s policy under which illegal immigrants are released pending a deportation hearing.

3 persons had died in California crash

Jashanpreet Singh was involved in a gruesome eight-vehicle crash in Ontario in California, US, that left three persons dead and four injured. The family had paid Rs 40 lakh to a travel agent to send him abroad.