Truck driver accused of killing 3 on 10 Freeway pleads not guilty to DUI, manslaughter

A Yuba City man accused of killing three people and seriously injuring several others in a fiery, catastrophic crash on the 10 Freeway in Ontario pleaded not guilty to felony charges during his arraignment Friday, Oct. 24, in Rancho Cucamonga Superior Court.

Clad in an orange jail jumpsuit and appearing with his appointed attorney, JashanPreet Singh, 21, appeared before Judge Shannon L. Faherty, who entered a not guilty plea on his behalf to three counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and one count of driving while under the influence of a drug causing injury.

Singh, who allegedly is in the country unlawfully and faces an immigration detainer from federal authorities, will next appear in court on Nov. 4 for a pretrial hearing. He is being held without bail at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga.

Investigators said Singh was driving a Freightliner semitruck on the westbound 10 Freeway, near the 15 Freeway interchange, about 1:10 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 21, when he failed to stop for slowed traffic, triggering a chain-reaction collision involving four commercial big rigs and four other vehicles.

The San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department has identified two of the people who died in the collision as Clarence Nelson, 76, a Fontana resident and former assistant basketball coach at Pomona High School, and his wife, Lisa, 69. Their vehicle was engulfed in flames.

The third victim who died has been identified in the criminal complaint as Jaime Flores Garcia.

Sing also is accused of causing injury to Maria Macias, Juan Chavez Alvarez and Tamara Lynn Gay, according to the criminal complaint.

Singh appeared in court with his attorney, Deputy Public Defender Zoe Korpi, and an interpreter, which Deputy District Attorney Jaime Cimino noted Singh did not need at the time of the collision or during his interviews with law enforcement.

“Up until this time, the defendant has not needed an interpreter, had clear, concise and competent interviews and communication with law enforcement,” said Cimino, who added that during post-crash interviews Singh said he understood English and declined an interpreter.

Korpi declined to comment following the arraignment.

The Department of Homeland Security said Thursday that Singh, originally from India, entered the United States at the southern border in 2022 and was released into the country. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged the detainer, signaling that federal authorities should be notified 48 hours before Singh is released from local custody.

A spokesperson for the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office said Singh does not have any prior traffic or criminal violations or convictions in the county.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.