Rajinder Kumar
Kumar's semi-truck jackknifed across Highway 20 near Bend, Oregon, blocking both lanes in the pitch dark last November. True Crime Updates/X

Rajinder Kumar, a 32-year-old Indian national, went from crossing the US border illegally in 2022 to obtaining a commercial driver's licence in California to allegedly causing a crash in Oregon that killed two newlyweds just 16 days after their wedding. He is now in federal immigration custody after being released on bond and then arrested by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

From the Arizona Border to a California CDL

Kumar entered the US illegally near Lukeville, Arizona, on 28 November 2022, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). He was released into the country under the immigration policies at the time and granted work authorisation in 2023. He later obtained a commercial driver's licence (CDL) in California, where he was based in Fresno.

California's CDL programme for non-domiciled drivers has since come under intense federal scrutiny. A federal audit found that roughly 17,000 non-domiciled CDLs had been issued in violation of safety regulations. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) ordered California to cancel those licences, and the state completed the revocations in March 2026. Oregon also halted its own programme for issuing CDLs to non-permanent residents the same month.

A Couple Married for Just 16 Days

On 24 November 2025, Kumar's semi-truck jackknifed on US Highway 20 in Deschutes County, about 50 miles east of Bend. The truck blocked both lanes of the highway in pitch-dark conditions. Oregon State Police said Kumar failed to set out emergency warning equipment before a Subaru Outback slammed into the trailer at highway speeds.

The crash killed William Micah Carter, 25, and Jennifer Lynn Lower, 24. The couple had been married for just 16 days and were driving home from their wedding reception.

Rajinder Kumar Newlyweds

Kumar was arrested that night. A grand jury later charged him with two counts of first-degree manslaughter and three counts of recklessly endangering another person. He pleaded not guilty on 30 March 2026 and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. His trial is set for 19 January 2027.

Released on Bond, Then Arrested by ICE

A Deschutes County court set Kumar's bond at $250,000 (£185,700). He walked out of the county jail on 2 April 2026 after posting $25,000 (£18,570), the required 10% of the total. The release order included an electronic monitoring requirement.

Twenty days later, on 22 April, ICE agents arrested Kumar. That same day, Deschutes County Deputy District Attorney Ben Becker filed a motion to revoke Kumar's release for failing to comply with electronic monitoring. Becker later withdrew the motion, stating in a court filing that federal agents may have removed Kumar's GPS bracelet when they took him into custody.

Kumar is now held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, and has been placed in removal proceedings.

Sanctuary Laws and the Criminal Case

Oregon's sanctuary laws prohibit local and state police from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement. DHS said Oregon officials declined to honour an ICE detainer filed against Kumar. Acting DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said sanctuary policies 'are gambling with American lives.'

Kumar's defence attorney, Andrew Ince, said his client 'should be considered innocent until proven guilty.' Under Oregon law, with few exceptions, 'all people have a right to bail,' Ince added.

Deschutes County District Attorney Stephen Gunnels said his office intends to proceed with the criminal case but acknowledged that 'federal actions are beyond our control.'

With Kumar now in federal hands in Tacoma and a January 2027 trial date still on the books in Bend, the legal fight over his fate is far from settled.

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