SEATTLE, Wash. – A 25-year-old truck driver who entered the United States illegally and was charged in a fatal crash that killed a 29-year-old Washington man has been released from custody after local officials failed to pursue the case or honor a federal immigration detainer, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Federal authorities identified the suspect as Kamalpreet Singh, a national of India who entered the country near Lukeville, Arizona, in 2023 and was later released into the U.S. under the Biden administration’s immigration policies. Singh was accused of causing a deadly multi-vehicle collision on December 11 when he allegedly failed to slow down on a Washington State freeway, striking another vehicle and triggering a chain-reaction crash. The vehicle Singh hit burst into flames, killing its driver, 29-year-old Robert Pearson, at the scene.
Following Singh’s arrest, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged an immigration detainer requesting that King County officials hold him for federal custody. Local authorities, however, did not honor the request, consistent with the county’s sanctuary policies, and subsequently released Singh without presenting a case to prosecutors.
“These dangerous sanctuary policies have deadly consequences,” Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “Robert Pearson would still be alive today if this illegal alien had not been released into our country. How many more Americans must be killed before politicians put public safety ahead of politics?”
The Department of Homeland Security cited the case as part of a broader pattern involving undocumented commercial drivers involved in fatal crashes across multiple states in recent months. Officials referenced similar incidents in Oregon, Florida, and California in which local jurisdictions also declined to honor ICE detainers.
Federal investigators said Singh remains at large, and ICE is seeking public assistance in locating him.
A truck driver in the U.S. illegally was released from custody in Washington State after local officials ignored a federal detainer following a fatal crash that killed a 29-year-old motorist.