Amid a major row over Punjabi truck drivers breaking law in the US, an Indian-origin truck driver has been arrested in Canada after months of being a fugitive. 25-year-old Navjeet Singh was arrested at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport Thursday as he arrived in Canada on an Ethiopian Airlines flight. Navjeet Singh, 25, had been wanted since November for two counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and one count of obstructing a police officer, CBC reported. Singh drove a semi-trailer truck through a stop sign that caused the crash killing a Manitoba mother and daughter. A Canada-wide warrant was issued against Navjeet in November last year after the authorities failed to locate Singh in Winnipeg. Manitoba RCMP said in a news release that Singh was arrested at Pearson International Airport on Thursday morning by Peel Regional Police and Canada Border Services Agency officers after he arrived in Canada on an Ethiopian Airlines flight. Singh drove a semi through a stop sign on Highway 201 and hit an SUV travelling south near the town of Altona, about 90 kilometres southwest of Winnipeg, on November 15. The SUV driver, Sara Unger, 35, from the rural municipality of Rhineland, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her daughter Alexa, 8, the only passenger in the vehicle, was airlifted to hospital but died from her injuries.“From the CBSA to Peel Regional Police, and Manitoba Motor Carrier Enforcement — their assistance was vital,” Pembina Valley RCMP Cpl. Jamie Sokolosky said in a news release Friday. “This has been an extremely tough time for the family. We thank everyone who put their concerns and comments out there.” After the crash, Singh was taken to a hospital where he was treated for injuries and was released. Singh remains in custody and will be escorted to Manitoba in the coming days, RCMP said on Friday. The incident came as US halted issuing work visas for commercial truck drivers after Harjinder Singh, a Punjabi truck driver, killed three on Florida Turnpike by taking a wrong U-turn.
Canada should also take similar steps like US, says Canadian Trucking Alliance
The Canadian Trucking Alliance said Canada must also clean up the system and ensure safety. “The visa restrictions announced by Secretary Rubio do not pertain to the visas utilized by drivers in Canada. However, CTA believes Canada must view these events as a wakeup call to clean up the issues within our system or risk potentially facing similar restrictions in the furure,” CTA said in a statement. “CTA is calling for the Government of Canada, as well as the provinces and territories to ensure Canada’s own issues with truck safety and licensing integrity are not a concern for the US Administration and as authorities increase oversight south of the border,” it added.
