Brown County, Ohio, USA: An Indian national has been arrested and charged with aggravated vehicular homicide following a fatal semi-truck crash in Brown County, Ohio, that claimed the life of a 50-year-old woman.
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the crash occurred at around 9:04 p.m. on September 2 on U.S. Route 68 near Hamer Road in Pleasant Township.
Authorities said a 2019 Volvo tractor-trailer driven by 39-year-old Manjit Singh was traveling northbound when it attempted to pass another vehicle. During the maneuver, the semi-truck crossed into the opposite lane and collided head-on with a southbound 2012 Chevrolet Cruze driven by 50-year-old Brenda Watson.
Watson, 50, of West Union, died at the scene from injuries sustained in the crash. Singh was not injured. The Ohio State Highway Patrol said the investigation into the crash remains ongoing.
According to a September 9 statement from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Singh is an Indian national who entered the United States through Arizona in October 2023 and was encountered by U.S. Border Patrol. DHS said he was subsequently released into the United States.
The department further stated that Singh applied for employment authorization in July 2024 and that the authorization was granted in August 2024. DHS also said Singh had obtained a commercial driver's license (CDL) from the state of California.
Following Singh's arrest, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged a detainer with the Brown County Jail, according to DHS. The detainer requests that local authorities notify ICE before Singh is released so that federal immigration authorities can take custody if legally permitted.
In its statement, DHS also raised concerns about how Singh was able to obtain a commercial driver's license and criticized immigration and licensing policies in California and under the previous administration. Those comments represent the department's position.
DHS also referred to other cases involving Indian nationals who were accused of fatal crashes or drug-related offenses and who had obtained commercial driver's licenses in California. The department cited cases involving Gunpreet Singh and Jasveer Singh in Indiana, Rajinder Kumar in Oregon and Harjinder Singh in Florida.
The Ohio crash involving Manjit Singh remains under investigation. Singh's aggravated vehicular homicide charge is an allegation, and the case will proceed through the U.S. legal system.
