An Indian man who, according to federal authorities, entered the United States three years ago has been charged with homicide after a semi‑truck he was driving collided with a passenger car, killing two people.
Rajinder Kumar, 32, faces counts of criminally negligent homicide and reckless endangering in the Nov. 24 Deschutes County crash that killed 25‑year‑old driver William Micah Carter and 24‑year‑old passenger Jennifer Lynn Lower. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has lodged an arrest detainer for Kumar.
Oregon State Police said officers responded to a two‑vehicle crash on a county highway the night of Nov. 24. Their preliminary investigation found a Freightliner commercial vehicle and trailer operated by Kumar had jackknifed and was stopped perpendicular to both lanes, blocking traffic. A car driven by Carter struck the trailer at highway speeds; Carter and Lower were pronounced dead at the scene. Kumar was reportedly uninjured.
“The highway was impacted for approximately seven hours during the on‑scene investigation. Dark conditions and a lack of active emergency warning equipment is being considered a primary contributor to the crash,” Oregon State Police said.
Kumar was arrested and lodged in the Deschutes County Jail. DHS said he entered the U.S. near Lukeville, Arizona, on Nov. 28, 2022, and was later released into the country and issued a commercial driver’s license by the California Department of Motor Vehicles. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin criticized local policies, saying, “How many more senseless tragedies must take place before sanctuary politicians stop allowing illegal aliens to dangerously operate semi‑trucks on America’s roads.”
DHS also noted this is the fourth recent case it has highlighted involving Indian nationals who, having entered the U.S. without authorization, were later involved in dangerous or fatal highway crashes while driving commercial trucks. DHS referenced earlier incidents this year: the August arrest of Harjinder Singh on three counts of vehicular homicide in Florida; the August arrest of Partap Singh following a multi‑car pileup in California that left a 5‑year‑old critically injured; and an October detainer for Jashanpreet Singh after a crash in California that killed three people and in which authorities say the driver was under the influence.
Authorities continue their investigations into the Deschutes County collision as criminal charges proceed.
