BATHINDA: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested an Indian-origin semi-truck driver with roots in Punjab after he ran a red light and caused a three-vehicle crash that killed a 64-year-old man in Hendricks County, Indiana on February 18. Sukhdeep Singh, 25, is the fourth person of Indian origin and the third Sikh immigrant to be arrested in the United States in the past six months on charges of reckless driving, leading to accidents in which nine people were killed. On August 18 last year, Harjinder Singh, 25, was charged with killing three people in Florida after he made what authorities said was a reckless turn on a highway. Two months later, Jashanpreet Singh, 21, was arrested in California on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and causing an accident that killed three people.
He entered the United States through the southern border in 2022. On November 24, Rajinder Kumar, 32, an undocumented immigrant since 2022, was charged in Oregon after his semi blocked two lanes, causing a crash that killed a newlywed pair. After the White House shared a post about the incidents, the advocacy group Sikhs United issued a statement, saying the statement reflects unequal treatment of the minority community.
She urged the government not to exclude Sikh drivers. She cited an April 2025 government report showing 528,177 truck accidents in 2023 resulting in 5,472 deaths. “These tragic numbers present nationwide road safety challenges in all communities.” Separately, a Sikh coalition is challenging a new rule that seeks to limit the issuance of non-domestic commercial driver’s licenses.
