Two Counts of Manslaughter: The Charge Facing the Truck Driver in a Deadly Oregon Crash

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has paused federal deportation proceedings for a semi-truck driver accused of killing two newlyweds in a November 2025 highway collision in Oregon. The driver, Rajinder Kumar, is now back in the custody of Deschutes County authorities to face criminal charges in state court.

Kumar, 32, faces two counts of first-degree manslaughter and three counts of recklessly endangering another person. These charges stem from a crash on U.S. Highway 20 where his commercial tractor-trailer allegedly jackknifed across both lanes of traffic. William Micah Carter, 25, and his wife, Jennifer Lynn Lower, 24, were driving a Subaru Outback when they struck the semi. Both died at the scene. The couple had been married for 16 days.

Video released by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Victims of Immigrant Crime Engagement office captured an interaction between Kumar and the victims' mother, Elizabeth Carter, earlier this month. The meeting occurred at the passenger window of an ICE vehicle as federal agents prepared to transfer Kumar to state custody. Carter told Kumar, "I wanted you to know that I pray for you and your family, I know you didn't get up that morning planning to kill two newlyweds." She added that she understood his family was also going through a difficult time.

Kumar entered the United States near Lukeville, Arizona, on November 28, 2022. U.S. Border Patrol apprehended him, and he was released into the country under the Biden administration pending removal proceedings. During this period, he received federal work authorization and obtained a commercial driver's license from the State of California.

After a Deschutes County grand jury indicted Kumar, a dispute arose between federal and local officials regarding his custody. ICE lodged an immigration detainer, requesting that the county jail notify federal agents before releasing him. On April 2, county corrections officials declined to honor the detainer and released Kumar into the community under Oregon state sanctuary policies.

On April 22, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations agents from Seattle arrested Kumar. They held him at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, while federal removal proceedings moved forward. The agency announced it would return him to Deschutes County to ensure he faces the felony manslaughter charges before any deportation orders are executed.

Julio Hernandez, the acting Field Office Director for ICE ERO Seattle, said the coordinated action protects the public and supports the victims' families. He stated, "Two Americans lost their lives, and their families deserve accountability." Hernandez noted that the return to state custody ensures the defendant does not evade justice while facing serious charges.

Federal officials confirmed that deportation proceedings remain on hold while Oregon state prosecutors pursue the criminal case. The trial is pending in Deschutes County Circuit Court. Kumar has pleaded not guilty to the charges in state court.