Big rig driver charged in Lodi after crash on Highway 99 leaves 2 dead, 5 injured
Editor's note: While the San Joaquin County coroner released the victim's name, CBS Sacramento removed it from this article until all family members have been notified.
A big rig driver is accused of taking off from the scene of a crash that killed two people on Highway 99 near Lodi on Tuesday, authorities said.
The crash happened on northbound Highway 99, south of Harney Lane, shortly before 12:30 p.m.
The California Highway Patrol said three vehicles — a Toyota Camry, Nissan Frontier and Kia Forte — were slowing down to come to a complete stop in the far right lane. Officers said a Freightliner Cascadia was traveling behind the three vehicles.
Officers said the driver of the big rig, who they identified as 24-year-old Manvir Singh, failed to stop the Freighliner and crashed into the rear of the Kia Forte. This caused a chain reaction, causing the Forte to crash into the Frontier and the Frontier to crash into the Camry.
Two males, ages 16 and 20, in the Forte died, officers said.
Five other people were taken to the hospital, including two people with major injuries.
The CHP said Singh took off running from the scene of the crash. He was taken into custody nearby and booked into jail.
The San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office charged Singh on Thursday with two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, reckless driving causing specified injury and hit-and-run resulting in permanent injury or death.
Prosecutors said Singh tried to drag one of the victims out of the car after the crash. But after they screamed, they said he ran off and eventually ordered an Uber.
They also argue that there were no skid marks on the roadway, suggesting that Singh never tried to brake before his big rig slammed into the back of the Forte.
Singh's defense attorney pushed back on the charges, arguing this was a tragic accident and not gross negligence.
"What was the gross negligence? He wasn't drunk, he wasn't doing drugs," said Jacob Benguerel, his defense attorney. "There's no evidence that he was doing anything other than driving a big rig down the road, and there was an accident. I mean, this is the type of thing that happens every day."
The Department of Homeland Security said Singh entered the U.S. illegally in Arizona in July 2023 and was released by the Biden administration.
"Allowing someone to evade responsibility simply by being deported undermines the rule of law and completely disrespects the victims harmed by that crime," a spokesperson for Gov. Gavin Newsom's office said in a statement. "Our focus must always be to ensure those who commit violent acts face their consequences here."
The judge sided with prosecutors, ruling that Singh is a flight risk because he left the scene. His bail was set to $400,000.
Traffic was backed up for hours on Highway 99 as officers investigated and cleared the scene.
