California big rig driver arrested on suspicion of DUI in deadly 8-vehicle crash on 10 Freeway

ONTARIO, Calif. - Three people were killed, and several others were injured following a horrific chain-reaction crash in Ontario Tuesday afternoon. 

Dash camera video, appearing to be from the big rig that slammed into several vehicles on the westbound 10 Freeway, is making the rounds on social media.

Fiery eight-vehicle crash

What we know:

Officials said the driver of a semi-truck, identified by FOX News' Bill Melugin as Jashanpreet Singh, allegedly failed to stop on time leading up to the crash. Singh was arrested over allegations of possibly driving under the influence of drugs. The criminal complaint reveals he has been formally charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. 

Dashcam video shows his big rig slamming into three vehicles and sandwiching them in-between another big rig. He then appears to hit a work truck on the side of the freeway. 

The crash happened on the westbound lanes of the 10 Freeway, west of the 15 Freeway, around 1:10 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21. 

CHP investigators said the preliminary investigation reveals traffic had slowed or stopped when Singh allegedly failed to stop the semi-truck on time, leading to a chain-reaction crash that involved eight vehicles. Four of the eight vehicles were commercial vehicles.

Witnesses describe crash: ‘It was so horrific’

What they're saying:

Just a loud explosion, something you don't ever expect to see," said Jason Calmelat.

People in a parking lot overlooking the freeway witnessed the crash in horror. "To see it actually unfold the way it did was pretty frightening," Calmelat recalled. "It was so horrific. He was going so fast and cars were, there was no chance they were going to get away from that."

Three people were pronounced dead at the scene, and at least four others were hospitalized for injuries ranging from minor to major as onlookers watched the investigation. 

"You couldn't tell they were cars, it just looked like a bunch of metal smashed up and balled up. It was really sad," said Angela, who saw the aftermath.

In addition, fuel from the semi-truck spilled onto the dirt shoulder of the freeway, resulting in a hazardous material incident. Multiple lanes were closed for hours.

Driver's past history 

Dig deeper:

Singh was in the country illegally, but the White House confirmed Thursday that he did have a commercial driver's license. 

"California gave this individual a license, and it is something that the Department of Transportation has already looked into," said Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary. 

It's unclear when he received the license, but recent rules imposed by the U.S. Department of Transportation prohibit states from granting Commercial Driver's License (CDL) to people with limited-term legal presence. 

As the Trump Administration puts blame on California for granting Singh a CDL, Governor Newsom told FOX News in a statement that the federal government approved and renewed Singh's employment authorization several times, which allowed him to obtain a CDL. 

What we don't know:

One of the three people killed was identified as Jaime Flores Garcia. The two other people have not been identified by authorities. 

What you can do:

CHP continues to investigate the deadly crash. Those with information are asked to contact Officer C. Gonzalez with the CHP Rancho Cucamonga Area office at 909-980-3994.