An Ontario truck driver, Navjeet Singh, who had been on the run from Canadian authorities for over nine months following a fatal crash that claimed the lives of a Manitoba mother and her eight-year-old daughter, has been granted bail. Singh, 26, was released under specific conditions which include surrendering his passport and driver’s license, refraining from sitting in the driver’s seat of any vehicle, residing at a designated address in Ontario, and reporting weekly to Manitoba police. This decision was made after a contentious bail hearing before provincial court Judge Michael Clark on August 28.
Singh was apprehended at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport a week prior after arriving on a flight from Ethiopian Airlines. The charges against him stem from the incident on November 15, 2024, when he allegedly drove through a stop sign at a speed exceeding the limit, resulting in the tragic deaths of Sara Unger, 35, and her daughter, Alexa, near Altona, Manitoba.
During the bail hearing, Crown attorney Michael Himmelman stated 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 and collided with Unger’s SUV. Witness accounts described the collision as an “explosion,” with the SUV being propelled over 53 meters from the impact. Himmelman also highlighted concerns such as Singh’s deactivated black box and alleged falsification of driving logs, suggesting possible driver fatigue as a contributing factor to the crash.
Despite Singh’s lack of a criminal record, Himmelman argued that he posed a significant flight risk, pointing out that Singh was aware of the arrest warrant against him when he left Canada, indicating a deliberate evasion of authorities. In response, Singh’s lawyer, Abhay Gautam, emphasized that his client voluntarily returned to Canada to face the charges, demonstrating his willingness to cooperate with the legal process.
Gautam revealed that Singh, who arrived in Canada as a student in 2020 and later obtained a work permit as a truck driver in 2022, had experienced shock and stress after the crash, leading him to leave the country to support his family. Singh’s family reportedly depends on his income to cover expenses, including his mother’s medications.
Judge Clark acknowledged the severity of the charges against Singh but emphasized the principle of granting reasonable bail when just cause is absent. The bail conditions imposed on Singh, which include restrictions on contacting the victims’ relatives or witnesses, adhering to a curfew, and a financial guarantee in case of rule violations, were deemed sufficient to address concerns surrounding his release.
Singh’s case is scheduled for another court appearance in December.