Oregon Truck Driver Returned to State Jail for Fatal Crash Trial

For the first time since a federal dispute over his custody delayed his case, Rajinder Kumar stands in Oregon state custody to answer for two fatalities on U.S. Highway 20. The 32-year-old semi-truck driver, who entered the United States from Arizona in late 2022, was returned to Deschutes County authorities earlier this month. He now faces two counts of first-degree manslaughter and three counts of recklessly endangering another person.

The return to state control ended a jurisdictional standoff that began after county corrections officials released Kumar in April. They declined to honor an immigration detainer lodged by federal agents, citing Oregon’s state sanctuary policies. The release allowed Kumar to remain in the community until federal enforcement officers located him later that month. ICE agents subsequently detained him at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, while federal removal proceedings moved forward.

Kumar’s release from federal custody followed a direct request to ensure he faces a local trial before any deportation orders are executed. Julio Hernandez, the acting Field Office Director for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in Seattle, stated that two Americans lost their lives and their families deserve accountability. He noted that the coordinated action supports the victims' families and ensures the driver does not evade justice for the serious charges against him.

The crash that led to these charges occurred on Nov. 24, 2025. Kumar allegedly jackknifed his commercial tractor-trailer across both lanes of the highway. A Subaru Outback driven by William Micah Carter, 25, struck the stopped vehicle. Carter and his wife, Jennifer Lynn Lower, 24, were killed at the scene. The couple had been married for 16 days at the time of the collision.

In a video released by the ICE Victims of Immigrant Crime Engagement office, Elizabeth Carter, William’s mother, spoke to Kumar through the passenger window of an ICE vehicle. She identified herself and told Kumar she prays for him and his family. Carter said she knew he did not get up that morning planning to kill two newlyweds. She added that she knows his family is going through something important. Kumar appeared to struggle to meet her gaze during the exchange.

Court and immigration records show Kumar entered the U.S. unlawfully near Lukeville, Ariz., on Nov. 28, 2022. He was apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol and released into the country pending removal proceedings. During that period, he was granted federal work authorization. He later obtained a commercial driver's license issued by the State of California. A Deschutes County grand jury indicted him following the fatal wreck, and he pleaded not guilty in state court.

Department of Homeland Security officials confirmed that federal deportation proceedings remain paused while Oregon state prosecutors pursue the criminal charges. Criminal trial proceedings are pending in Deschutes County Circuit Court.