LONGUEUIL, QUEBEC, CANADA — A truck driver who plowed his 53-foot rig into eight stopped vehicles at a construction zone on Highway 30 near Montreal while playing an online board game on his cellphone — killing a 42-year-old woman and her 11-year-old son and seriously injuring three others — was sentenced to six years in prison Wednesday after fleeing to India, evading a Canada-wide arrest warrant for more than two years, and being caught in California while trying to obtain a new CDL to drive in the United States.
Quebec Court Judge Sacha Blais sentenced Baljeet Singh, 29, of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, at the Longueuil courthouse. With time already served factored in, Singh has approximately four years, four months, and four days left to serve. He is also banned from operating any motor vehicle for 10 years. Singh required a Punjabi translator for the sentencing hearing.
The Crash
The crash occurred on July 19, 2022, on Highway 30 in Brossard as traffic came to a standstill near a construction zone at Grande-Allée Boulevard. Witnesses reported that Singh’s truck did not slow down at all as it approached the stopped vehicles. Singh later admitted he had been playing Ludo — a strategy-based online board game — on his cellphone at the time and that his eyes were not on the road.
Inside one of the eight vehicles struck was Nancy Lefrançois, 42, and her 11-year-old son, Loïc Chevalier. Both were killed. Lefrançois was pronounced dead at the scene. Loïc died in hospital. The two had celebrated their birthdays in the days just before the crash.
Lefrançois’s partner, Benoît Lavoie, suffered a collapsed lung, fractured ribs, a concussion, head trauma, and scalp lacerations. He was in a coma for three weeks — causing him to miss his partner’s funeral — and one of his arms had to be completely reconstructed. Loïc’s older brother, a teenage minor who was also in the vehicle, was left in critical condition and required plastic surgery. A fourth person in the vehicle was also injured.
The Flight and Arrest
After the crash, Singh voluntarily met with Sûreté du Québec investigators and told them he had no recollection of the collision. Hours later, he fled to India and deleted his social media accounts. A Canada-wide arrest warrant was issued on July 13, 2023.
Singh was arrested in California on August 21, 2025, where he had been attempting to obtain a new driver’s license to drive a commercial truck in the United States. He was returned to Canada and subsequently admitted the crash was his fault, that he had been playing Ludo on his phone, and that he wanted to be held accountable. “He expresses his regret to the victims, their loved ones, and his family,” according to court documents.
What the Investigation Found
A review of the truck’s dashcam revealed Singh had committed more than 40 traffic violations during his last three trips, repeatedly used his cellphone while driving, weaved between lanes, and exceeded permitted driving hours by failing to take mandatory rest periods. Call logs showed he was on a phone call with another man for much of the hour before the crash and frequently played online games with him.
The Sentence
On April 15, Singh pleaded guilty to two counts of operating a vehicle in a dangerous manner causing death and three counts of causing bodily harm. The Crown and defense jointly recommended a six-year sentence, which Judge Blais accepted, placing it at the high end of the sentencing range given the devastating consequences of the crash.
“The court is of the opinion that using a telephone to play a game while driving shows a complete lack of judgment,” Blais said. “The sentence should denounce Mr. Singh’s behaviour and send a clear message to drivers of heavy vehicles who are held to a heavy standard of professionalism and competence. The consequences on the victims and their loved ones are disastrous.”
Mitigating factors included Singh’s guilty plea, absence of a prior criminal record, cooperation with police after his return to Canada, and a criminologist’s assessment that he poses a low risk of reoffending. The judge also found his apologies and remorse to be sincere.
During a previous hearing, Lavoie told the court that part of him died the day of the crash. The judge noted that Loïc’s surviving brother still carries guilt for having survived while his younger sibling did not.
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