The Calgary Police Service is refusing to disclose the citizenship or residency status of a semi-truck driver charged in connection with a fatal hit-and-run collision that killed one woman.
In a press release on Thursday, the CPS announced they charged 25-year-old Gaganpreet Singh with failure to remain at the scene of a collision and failure to remain at the scene of a collision causing death.
When contacted by True North, a CPS spokesperson confirmed the identity of the arrested driver as Singh but refused to comment on whether Singh is a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or in the country on a visa.
Police claimed the information was not relevant to their investigation and therefore would not be released.
The Calgary crash took place late Tuesday night on Stoney Trail N.W., near the Nose Hill Drive overpass. According to police, a white 2019 Toyota Corolla, driven by a woman in her 50s, was struck by a semi-truck that fled the scene without stopping to render aid. The initial collision left the woman stranded on the roadway.
Moments later, a black 2018 RAM truck driven by a 21-year-old man hit a roadside barrier, then struck the woman and the back of a road maintenance truck that had pulled over to help. Emergency services arrived quickly, and the woman was transported to hospital, where she later died from her injuries.
The semi-truck involved in the first collision was eventually located in Rocky View County. Following an investigation, CPS arrested and charged Singh.
Singh is scheduled to appear in a Calgary courtroom on Friday. Police have not released any further details about Singh’s driving record, licensing, or employer.
CPS has stated that the investigation is ongoing and continues to encourage witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage from the area between 11:45 p.m. and 12:15 a.m. on April 1 to come forward.
Concerns about the appropriate vetting and training process for semi-truck drivers have mounted since the deadly 2018 Humboldt Broncos bus crash. Semi-truck driver Jaskirat Singh Sidhu was charged in the incident that resulted in the deaths of 16 passengers, many of them junior ice hockey players.
Last year, the Immigration and Refugee Board ordered Sidhu to be deported to India. Sidhu is currently appealing his deportation.
