‘We Just Want Justice’: Parents of Newlyweds Killed in Highway 20 Crash Oppose Deportation of Truck Driver Before Trial
Family blasts California's program that issues CDL licenses to undocumented immigrants.
BROTHERS, Ore. (KTVZ) — For Elizabeth Carter, sleep has become almost impossible.
Since the day her son Billy and his new wife, Jenny, were killed in a devastating crash on U.S. Highway 20 near Brothers, she says the same nightmare returns again and again.
“I've been having a recurrent nightmare since the accident,” Carter said. “I dream that I'm in the car with them.”
The young couple had been married just 16 days.
They were driving across Central Oregon to begin the next chapter of their lives, moving in with Billy's family, when their journey ended in tragedy.
Now, as the criminal case against the truck driver accused of causing the crash hangs in uncertainty, Billy's parents find themselves fighting a second battle, one they never expected.
Their message is simple: don't deport him before he faces trial.
A Highway Blocked in the Dark
Oregon State Police have identified the truck driver as Rajinder Kumar, an Indian national who was living in the United States without legal status.
Investigators say Kumar's semi-truck jackknifed across Highway 20, blocking the roadway outside Brothers. According to the family, the truck was stretched across the highway with no warning lights, flares, cones or emergency signals to alert approaching drivers.
“There were no cones or flares or nothing,” Billy's father said.
Billy and Jenny collided with the disabled semi, suffering fatal injuries.
Elizabeth Carter still remembers the hours before the crash. She had spent nearly an entire day preparing her home for the newlyweds' arrival.
“I had been up for like 17 hours getting the house ready,” she said. “I wanted it perfect for Billy and Jenny.”
Instead of welcoming them home, the family was forced to call Jenny's parents about the newlywed's death.
Criminal Charges and an Unexpected Turn
Kumar was charged in connection with the crash and was expected to stand trial.
After being released on bail under GPS monitoring, however, he was taken into federal custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
He is now being held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, and faces a deportation hearing scheduled for July 1.
The move stunned Billy's parents.
In cases involving serious criminal allegations, immigration proceedings are often delayed until local prosecutions are resolved. The Carters say they fear deportation could prevent the case from ever reaching a courtroom.
“It doesn't feel like justice to you guys?” KTVZ asked Elizabeth Carter.
“The fact that ICE is trying to give him a free plane ticket back to his family, and calling that justice,” she replied.
When asked whether she believes there would be accountability if Kumar is deported, Carter was blunt. “He's been getting away with it,” she said. “And ICE would be an accomplice helping him do it.”
A Case Drawn Into the National Immigration Debate
The case has become entangled in the nation's broader debate over immigration enforcement.
Federal immigration agencies have publicly highlighted Kumar's case on social media, posting multiple times about the crash and sharing clips from previous KTVZ coverage.
At the center of that discussion is Kumar's commercial driver's license.
According to state records, Kumar obtained a California commercial driver's license through a state program that allowed undocumented immigrants to receive commercial driving credentials. The program exempted participants from certain federal requirements, including English-language proficiency standards that normally apply to commercial drivers.
Federal officials have since moved to suspend the program.
The Carters say California should never have issued Kumar a commercial license. But despite their anger over the circumstances that put him behind the wheel, they distinguish immigration enforcement and criminal accountability.
Their priority, they say, is seeing the criminal case through to its conclusion.
“They have a right as American citizens killed on American soil to see a trail over their deaths. I'm willing to beg for it,” Elizabeth Carter said. "I think it's incredibly sad that I have to beg."
Unanswered Questions
The crash continues to leave lingering questions.
Investigators have not publicly explained why neither Kumar nor others involved contacted 911 immediately after the truck became disabled across the roadway.
The family believes Kumar may not have contacted authorities because he was in the country illegally and did not speak English.
Under normal federal regulations, English proficiency is generally required for commercial drivers operating in interstate commerce. California's now-suspended program allowed some drivers to obtain commercial licenses despite those restrictions.
Kumar also faces three counts of reckless endangerment. Prosecutors say another family — a couple traveling with a baby — passed the jackknifed truck shortly before Billy and Jenny's fatal crash.
Fighting for Their Son
The Carters say they have repeatedly tried to contact ICE and other federal officials but have received little information about the status of the case.
They have also reached out to elected leaders throughout Oregon, hoping to prevent Kumar from being removed from the country before his criminal case is resolved.
The family says they have been told tensions between state and federal authorities have complicated efforts to find answers.
As they continue to grieve, Billy's parents are asking members of the public who support their position to contact elected representatives and urge them to push for changes they believe would ensure criminal prosecutions take precedence over deportation proceedings in cases involving deaths.
For Elizabeth Carter, the fight is no longer just about her son and daughter-in-law.
It is about making sure the people accused of causing fatal crashes are held accountable before they leave the country.
And every night, she says, she is reminded why.
The nightmares have not stopped.
