Kamal Ghorui
An Indian-origin truck driver has admitted causing a fatal crash in Canada as he was playing a mobile phone game behind the steering wheel. The deadly pileup killed 2 people.29-year-old Baljeet Singh is an Ontario resident who pleaded guilty in a Longueuil courthouse to dangerous driving causing death and dangerous driving causing bodily harm over a deadly pile-up on Highway 30 in Brossard, near Montreal, on July 19, 2022.Singh was driving a 53-foot tractor-trailer when he failed to slow down while approaching heavy traffic near a construction zone, triggering a multi-vehicle collision. Singh had used his mobile phone 18 times in the hour before the crash and was actively playing an online game at the time.The crash killed 42-year-old Nancy Lefrançois and her 11-year-old son Loïc Chevalier, who were in a passenger vehicle struck during the pile-up. Several others were seriously injured, suffering fractures, head trauma and internal bleeding.A report revealed Singh had just 0.35 seconds to react before the impact and said the crash could likely have been avoided if he had been paying attention to the road instead of his mobile.Dashcam footage and evidence also showed repeated distraction, including lane weaving, traffic violations and failure to take required rest breaks.After initially speaking to police, Singh later left Canada and travelled to India. He was arrested abroad in 2025 and brought back to Canada to face charges. He apologised in court papers and is now in custody. He will be sentenced in June. Dangerous driving causing death can lead to life imprisonment in Canada.
