MOAB, UTAH — Newly released body camera video shows Moab police arresting a semi-truck driver wanted in connection with a deadly hit-and-run crash in California after officers stopped him for speeding in Utah.
Chamkaur Singh, 30, was stopped by Moab Police earlier this month after officers said he was driving a semi-truck 20 mph over the posted speed limit on U.S. 191 near 500 West.
Traffic Stop Leads to California Warrant
During the traffic stop, a Moab officer ran Singh’s information and discovered an outstanding warrant out of California.
Body camera video shows officers placing Singh in handcuffs before explaining why he was being detained.
“There’s a warrant out of California that matches your information,” a Moab officer told Singh in the video.
Police contacted the California Highway Patrol and San Bernardino County authorities to confirm the warrant.
“So, we got in touch with California, San Bernardino County, okay, they confirmed it is you on that warrant, so this time you are under arrest,” another officer told Singh.
Singh was taken into custody without incident.
Warrant Tied to Deadly I-10 Crash
According to the California Highway Patrol, the warrant stemmed from a deadly chain-reaction crash on westbound Interstate 10 in Ontario, California, on March 29.
CHP said officers were initially responding to a two-vehicle crash involving a black Honda Accord and an unoccupied disabled Volkswagen Passat parked on the right shoulder.
As traffic slowed near that crash, a white Kenworth tractor-trailer traveling in the slow lane allegedly rear-ended a black Honda Civic.
The passenger in the Civic was killed, and the driver was critically injured.
Seven Vehicles Involved
CHP said the impact pushed the Civic into a red Lexus, which then struck a purple Honda Fit.
The Kenworth continued onto the right shoulder and struck the disabled Volkswagen, according to CHP.
The Volkswagen was then pushed into the driver of the Honda Accord, who was standing on the shoulder. That person was also killed.
In total, CHP said seven vehicles were involved in the crash sequence.
Two other people suffered injuries ranging from minor to major and were taken to hospitals.
Driver Allegedly Fled Before Officers Arrived
CHP said the driver of the Kenworth allegedly fled the scene before officers arrived.
Investigators later identified Singh as the suspect and issued a warrant charging him in connection with the deadly crash.
Singh was arrested roughly five months after the California crash and was still driving a semi-truck when Moab Police stopped him in Utah.
“The only thing that caught this was a speeding ticket,” trucking industry expert Jason Douglass said.
Expert Points to Gaps in Driver Monitoring
Douglass said it is unclear whether Singh was driving for a carrier at the time of the California crash or during the Utah traffic stop.
He said there can be gaps in how trucking companies monitor drivers after they are hired, especially when information from a crash or warrant does not immediately reach an employer.
“What I can see happening is you run that MVR and background when you hire them, and if they get in an accident, sometimes you don’t know,” Douglass said.
An MVR, or motor vehicle record, can give employers information about a driver’s driving history.
Douglass said carriers should do more than annual reviews and should regularly monitor driver safety and compliance information.
“Carriers need to set safety and compliance, the standard of making sure that they’re doing more than just yearly, that they’re monitoring those MVRs,” Douglass said.
Semi Impounded After Arrest
After the Moab traffic stop, Singh was booked into the Grand County Jail.
Police also issued him a speeding citation and impounded the semi-truck he was driving.
📸 Image(s) used under fair use for news reporting.
