Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025:
- Blood tests cleared driver of DUI charges, yet he still faces "negligent vehicular homicide" after California crash.
- HOS regs waived in North and South Dakota on temporary, emergency basis for different commodity categories.
- Second toll hike coming for Blue Water Bridge crossers.
Jashanpreet Singh’s DUI charges dropped
Jashanpreet Singh, the truck driver involved in a deadly crash along I-10 in California that federal officials have said is in the country illegally and was illegally issued a non-domiciled CDL by California just a week before the crash, is facing different charges than initially levied.
During the October 21 crash, 21-year-old Singh plowed into a line of stopped vehicles on the interstate at highway speed. Three people were killed and two others injured as a result.
He was originally believed to be under the influence of drugs at the time of the crash, and was charged three counts of Gross Vehicular Manslaughter While Intoxicated and one count of Driving While Under the Influence of a Drug Causing Injury.
The San Bernardino County District Attorney announced on Oct. 31 that an amended complaint against Singh has been filed in court after “toxicology reports confirmed none of the substances tested were present in the defendant’s blood at the time the test was rendered.” The DA’s office added that “the case remains a grossly negligent homicide,” and a new complaint was filed to reflect the new findings.
Under the new complaint, Singh is now charged with three counts of Vehicular Manslaughter with Gross Negligence and one count of Reckless Driving on a Highway Causing a Specified Injury.
[Related: California illegally issued non-domiciled CDL to Jashanpreet Singh days before I-10 crash: DOT]
Hours regs waived in Dakotas for fertilizer, fuel haulers
The governors of North Dakota and South Dakota have each declared emergencies that waive hours-of-service rules for certain truck drivers.
In North Dakota, Gov. Kelly Armstrong declared an emergency due to disruptions in the fertilizer supply chain. Armstrong’s declaration said “facility maintenance delays and transportation issues on the eastern side of the state are causing a strain on the state's anhydrous supply and have resulted in the need for trucks to transport the fertilizer from one side of the state to the other.”
That longer haul, Armstrong added, “has put a strain on industry, being unable to run the trucks for enough hours to meet demand, resulting in a delay for farmers who have an already shortened application window.”
As a result, the emergency declaration waives hours-of-service regulations for commercial drivers transporting agricultural inputs, including dry fertilizer, liquid fertilizer and anhydrous ammonia. The waiver expires Nov. 17.
In South Dakota, Gov. Larry Rhoden issued an emergency declaration due to “extremely low inventories and outages of propane and other fuels due to the high demand for petroleum products due to harvest.”
The order exempts commercial drivers delivering gasoline or gasoline blends, diesel, fuel oil, ethanol, propane, jet fuel, and biodiesel from hours regulations.
“Although hours of service have been temporarily suspended for commercial deliveries, companies may not require or allow fatigued drivers to make deliveries,” Rhoden said. “All other road safety and vehicle compliance regulations still apply.”
South Dakota’s waiver is effective through Nov. 10.
Toll hike coming on Michigan’s Blue Water Bridge
Truck drivers crossing the Blue Water Bridge from Michigan into Canada will see increased tolls beginning Dec. 1.
Effective Dec. 1, the toll rate for crossing the eastbound span of the Blue Water Bridge (BWB) in Port Huron will increase from $4.25 per axle to $5.25 per axle for trucks. The Michigan Department of Transportation said the planned $1 increase will help offset increased maintenance and operations costs, in addition to construction improvements for the BWB plaza.
It's the second increase in a planned staggered set of hikes that began in 2024, MDOT noted. While not required, MDOT noted, the agency chose to engage the public and regular commuters before making a final decision regarding rate increases. Following an overwhelming response from a public survey, BWB administration implemented the first $1 rate increase on Dec. 1, 2024.
The overall rate increase follows 14 years of no changes to toll rates for commuter and commercial vehicles.
