US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has returned Indian national Rajinder Kumar to the Deschutes County Jail in Oregon to face trial over a November 2025 tractor-trailer crash that killed newlyweds William Micah Carter and Jennifer Lynn Lower. The agency announced the transfer on October 18, 2026, saying deportation proceedings against Kumar will stay on hold until his criminal case concludes.
The Charges and the Crash
Kumar, 32, has been indicted in Deschutes County on two counts of first-degree manslaughter and three counts of recklessly endangering another person. The charges stem from the crash on November 24, 2025, near milepost 51 on U.S. Highway 20 in Deschutes County, according to reporting by Outlook India and the Times of India.
According to Oregon State Police, Kumar's Freightliner tractor-trailer had jackknifed and was blocking both lanes of the highway around 9:30 p.m. when a westbound Subaru Outback struck the trailer. The driver, 25-year-old William Micah Carter, and his passenger, 24-year-old Jennifer Lynn Lower, died at the scene. The couple had married just 16 days earlier and were returning from their honeymoon.
Investigators said darkness and the absence of active emergency warning equipment were being considered major contributing factors. Authorities have not publicly established why the truck jackknifed. The charges remain pending, and Kumar has pleaded not guilty. He has not been convicted.
A Detainer Dispute and a Return to Custody
After his initial arrest, ICE said it lodged an immigration detainer with the Deschutes County Jail, but the county released Kumar in April 2026 without honoring it. KTVZ reported he was released on bail with a GPS ankle monitor. Federal agents arrested him on April 22, 2026.
According to local reporting, a judge later issued a nationwide arrest warrant with security set at $1 million, and Kumar was returned to the county jail on October 15. He is being held without bail. His trial is scheduled for January 2027, and a pretrial release hearing was set for October 23.
Federal authorities say Kumar was apprehended by US Border Patrol near Lukeville, Arizona, on November 28, 2022, after entering the United States from Mexico, and was placed in removal proceedings. The Department of Homeland Security says he later received work authorization and was issued a commercial driver's license by California.
What Comes Next
"Two Americans lost their lives, and their families deserve accountability," ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Seattle acting Field Office Director Julio S. Hernandez said in the agency's statement. "ICE worked closely with law-enforcement partners to ensure Kumar is returned to state custody to answer for the serious charges against him."
ICE said it will pursue Kumar's immigration case under federal law once the state criminal proceedings conclude. For the families of the victims, the coming trial in Deschutes County will be the first full public accounting of what happened on Highway 20 that night.
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Hitman (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
Sources: Outlook India; The Times of India; The Economic Times; M9 News