An Ontario truck driver, Navjeet Singh, accused of causing a fatal crash that resulted in the death of a Manitoba mother and her eight-year-old daughter after running a stop sign last year, has been released on bail after successfully contesting a bail hearing before provincial court Judge Michael Clark on August 28. Singh, 26, was required to surrender his passport and driver’s license, refrain from occupying the driver’s seat of any vehicle, reside at a specified Ontario address, and report weekly to Manitoba police as part of his bail conditions. Singh was apprehended at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport a week prior, upon his arrival from an Ethiopian Airlines flight.
The charges against Singh stemmed from the tragic crash on November 15, 2024, near Altona, Manitoba, where Sara Unger, 35, and her daughter, Alexa, lost their lives. During the bail hearing, Crown attorney Michael Himmelman revealed that investigators believed Singh was driving at a speed of at least 91 km/h in a 100 km/h zone when he disregarded the stop sign, colliding with Unger’s SUV. The court learned that the highway conditions were normal that night, with no environmental obstructions noted.
Witnesses described the collision impact as akin to an “explosion,” propelling the SUV over 53 meters and causing extensive damage. Himmelman highlighted that Singh’s vehicle’s black box was deactivated at the time of the crash, and there were suspicions of falsified driving logs, indicating a potential issue of driver fatigue contributing to the incident.
Despite Singh having no prior criminal record, the prosecution argued that he posed a significant flight risk, citing his knowledge of the arrest warrant when he left the country as evidence of evading law enforcement. In response, Singh’s lawyer, Abhay Gautam, emphasized that his client returned to Canada willingly to face the charges, aware of the consequences.
Singh, who arrived in Canada from India as a student in 2020, later securing a work permit in 2022 to work as a truck driver, expressed shock and stress following the crash. His attorney highlighted Singh’s family’s reliance on his income to cover expenses, including his mother’s medical needs.
Judge Clark acknowledged the severity of the case but emphasized the legal requirement to grant reasonable bail unless there is just cause to deny it. Singh’s bail conditions, including a curfew and a relative pledging a sum in case of rule violations, were deemed sufficient to ensure compliance. The case is scheduled to proceed in December.
The tragic incident has left a community in mourning as legal proceedings continue to unfold in the aftermath of the crash.