BROWN COUNTY, OHIO — A 50-year-old West Union woman was killed September 2 when a semi-truck attempting to pass another vehicle crossed into the southbound lane of US-68 and struck her car head-on in Pleasant Township. The driver has been charged with aggravated vehicular homicide and has an ICE detainer lodged against him.
Ohio State Highway Patrol said a 2019 Volvo tractor-trailer driven by Manjit Singh, of Fresno, California, was traveling northbound on US-68 near Hamer Road and moved into the southbound lane to pass another vehicle when it struck a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze driven by Brenda Watson, 50, head-on. Watson died at the scene. Singh was arrested and charged with aggravated vehicular homicide. ICE lodged a detainer with Brown County Jail the day after his arrest.
A witness who was driving the vehicle Singh was attempting to pass said she saw the collision coming before it happened. “It was like I seen it was going to happen, before it happened, and I already had my phone to call 911,” said LeAnn Shepherd. She described the impact as severe. “Her car literally went up, came down. There was smoke. It was bad,” she said.
Another witness stated Singh was traveling at an excessive speed and had ample time and space to merge back into the northbound lane before the crash occurred.
According to DHS, Singh entered the United States through Arizona in October 2023, was encountered by Border Patrol, and was released. He applied for work authorization in July 2024, which was granted in August 2024. He held a CDL issued by the state of California.
The crash remains under investigation by Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Interviews courtesy of local media.
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