2 victims identified in fatal California crash allegedly caused by illegal immigrant

Two of the three victims killed Tuesday in a fiery tractor-trailer crash believed to have been caused by an illegal alien in Southern California have been identified as an assistant basketball coach and his wife.

The San Bernardino County Coroner’s Office identified two of the crash victims as Clarence Nelson of Fontana, 76, and his wife, Lisa Nelson, 69, saying both were pronounced dead at the scene.

State Sen. Susan Rubio said in a Facebook post that Nelson was the basketball coach at Pomona High School in Pomona, California.

“This week, our community was deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occurred in the City of Ontario,” Rubio said. “It is heartbreaking to learn that two of the lives lost were from my district: Pomona High School basketball coach Clarence Nelson and his wife Lisa.”

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCK DRIVER CHARGED IN FATAL FLORIDA ACCIDENT GOT BIDEN WORK PERMIT AFTER TRUMP REFUSAL: DHS

Clarence Nelson (right) was one of three victims who died in a crash on October 21, 2025, apparently after an illegal immigrant from India crashed into several vehicles in Southern California. (Pomona High Red Devils)

“As a teacher, I know how much a loss like this impacts an entire school community,” she continued. “My heart goes out to their families, the Pomona Unified School District and all those who are grieving this tremendous loss.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the school, although officials declined to comment.

The driver, Jashanpreet Singh, 21, is an illegal immigrant from India who crossed the southern border in 2022 and was released by the Biden administration; he is now accused of being at the origin of the semi-trailer accident which left three people dead.

According to federal sources, Singh was first encountered by Border Patrol agents in the El Centro sector of California in March 2022 and released inside while awaiting an immigration hearing.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ACCUSED OF KILLING 3 IN FLORIDA HIGHWAY CRASH CROSSING CALIFORNIA BORDER IN 2018: DHS

Jashanpreet Singh, a 21-year-old Indian national, allegedly drove a large truck under the influence, causing an accident in California that killed at least three people on Tuesday, October 21, 2025. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Authorities say Singh was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter while intoxicated after plowing his big rig into slow-moving traffic on I-10 in San Bernardino County.

The accident, which was filmed by a dashboard camera, left at least three people dead and several others injured. Police say Singh never braked before running into a traffic jam, citing toxicology tests that confirmed impairment.

DHS sources confirm that he does not have legal immigration status and that ICE placed an immigration detainer following his arrest.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKER ACCUSED OF KILLING THREE PEOPLE FAILED ENGLISH, ROAD SIGN TESTS: DOT

Emergency crews responded to a multi-vehicle crash involving tractor-trailers on I-10 in San Bernardino County, California on October 21, 2025. (@BillMelugin via X)

The incident is the latest involving illegal immigrant truck drivers in the United States.

In another case, Harjinder Singh — who crossed the southern border illegally in 2018 — obtained a commercial driver’s license in California and was accused of causing an August crash in Fort Pierce, Florida, that killed three people.

Officials investigating the wreck said he failed English and road signs tests.

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The crash follows the Trump administration’s announcement last week that it would deny California more than $40 million in federal highway safety funding for failing to meet federal English language proficiency standards for truck drivers.

Fox News Digital’s Jasmine Baehr and Peter D’Ambrosca contributed to this report.