An Ontario truck driver, Navjeet Singh, has been granted bail after evading Canadian authorities for over nine months following a fatal crash that claimed the lives of a Manitoba mother and her eight-year-old daughter. Singh, 26, was released with conditions such as surrendering his passport and driver’s license, refraining from sitting in the driver’s seat of a vehicle, residing at a specified address in Ontario, and reporting weekly to Manitoba police. The bail decision came after a contested hearing before provincial court Judge Michael Clark on Aug. 28.
Singh was apprehended at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport a week earlier upon his arrival on an Ethiopian Airlines flight, as per police reports. He faced charges, including dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death, in connection to the crash that occurred on Nov. 15, 2024, near Altona, Manitoba. The collision resulted in the tragic deaths of Sara Unger, 35, and her daughter, Alexa.
During Singh’s bail hearing, Crown attorney Michael Himmelman stated that investigators believed Singh was driving at a speed of at least 91 km/h in a 100 km/h zone when he disregarded a stop sign, colliding with Unger’s SUV. The court was informed that the road conditions that night were standard, with no environmental hindrances noted at the intersection.
According to witness testimony presented during the hearing, the impact of the collision was described as explosive, propelling the SUV a distance of over 53 meters. Himmelman also highlighted that the data recorder in Singh’s truck was turned off at the time of the crash, and there were allegations of falsified driving logs, suggesting potential driver fatigue as a contributing factor.
Despite Singh’s lack of a criminal record, Himmelman argued that he posed a flight risk, emphasizing that Singh was aware of the arrest warrant when he left the country. In response, Singh’s lawyer, Abhay Gautam, asserted that Singh returned to Canada willingly to face the charges against him.
Gautam disclosed that Singh arrived in Canada in 2020 as an international student, obtained a work permit in 2022, and has been working as a truck driver ever since. He highlighted Singh’s shock and stress following the crash, indicating that Singh left the country to support his ailing mother, who became ill upon learning of the incident.
Judge Clark acknowledged the severity of the crash and the potential consequences for Singh but emphasized the importance of not denying reasonable bail without just cause. Singh’s bail conditions, which include restrictions on contacting victims’ relatives and witnesses, adhering to a curfew, and a relative guaranteeing a financial penalty for any breaches, were deemed sufficient to address concerns surrounding his release.
The case is scheduled to return to court in December for further proceedings.
