The arrest took place in the morning of February 5, and B.B. will remain in custody until immigration procedures are completed.
The tragedy that claimed the lives of four people occurred on February 3 around 4:00 PM on State Route 67. According to law enforcement, the truck driver failed to brake in time before the vehicle ahead, veered into oncoming traffic, and collided with a minibus carrying up to 15 passengers.
Detained suspect. Photo from the ICE website.
The incident is under investigation by the Indiana police in conjunction with the Jay County Sheriff's Office.
A request for the arrest of B.B. was sent on February 4, after which he was handed over to federal authorities with the assistance of local law enforcement.
ICE noted that the Kyrgyz citizen had previously entered the US "without lawful status" and obtained a commercial driver's license in Pennsylvania.
According to Trisha McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security, the decision to issue a license to the driver led to the tragedy that resulted in the deaths of four innocent people.
ICE also mentioned other cases of commercial drivers being arrested without lawful immigration status, which may pose a threat to public safety. These include the arrest of a citizen of Uzbekistan in November, who is wanted in his homeland on charges of terrorist connections, as well as the arrests of drivers during the Midway Blitz operation in Indiana. Additionally, a request for the arrest of a driver previously arrested in Florida on charges of involuntary manslaughter resulting from a traffic accident was submitted.
