DESCHUTES COUNTY, OREGON — A Deschutes County judge ruled Monday, October 26, that a truck driver charged in a fatal Highway 20 crash will stay in jail until his January trial, keeping his bail at $1 million so he cannot post it, be picked up by federal immigration officers, and be deported before the case is resolved.
Rajinder Kumar, 32, was returned to Deschutes County custody October 15 after being held in ICE custody since April at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington. Circuit Court Judge Wells Ashby said that if bail were lowered and Kumar posted it, he believed federal immigration officers would pick him up again. Kumar has a deportation order signed in July. An appeal was allowed through the end of July, but none was filed, according to immigration case information.
“The court has a job to do and immigration has a job to do,” Ashby said. “It’s important to the court that this case proceeds to its conclusion. It’s important for the families of the victims and Mr. Kumar. If Mr. Kumar is returned to India before pretrial this case is all but over.”
The Crash
Kumar faces felony charges of involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangering after a fatal crash on Highway 20 on November 24, 2025. His truck was jackknifed across the highway about eight miles east of Brothers when a car hit it. A newlywed couple, William Carter and Jennifer Lower, died.
The Bail Dispute
The $1 million bail was set at an October 1 hearing. Kumar’s attorney, Andrew Ince, argued that it was unattainable for his client and that bail should return to the previous $250,000, which Kumar had paid. He said Kumar should be able to go back to the family member’s home in Bend where he lived before ICE picked him up.
Prosecutor Ben Becker said the higher bail was appropriate. “The defendant’s removal from the U.S. is imminent on removal from Deschutes County custody. Given the risks, increased bail is appropriate.”
ICE said in an October 15 statement that “following the conclusion of state criminal proceedings, ICE will pursue Kumar’s immigration case consistent with federal law.”
Background and Next Steps
Kumar entered the U.S. illegally in Arizona in 2022. He held a California commercial driver’s license and a work authorization at the time of the crash. A status hearing is set for November 9. His nine-day trial is scheduled to begin January 19, 2027.
Information courtesy of local media.
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