Semi driver granted bail after allegedly killing two in crash, fleeing country

An Ontario truck driver accused of killing a mother and daughter in Manitoba in a 2024 crash was recently granted bail. CTV’s Taylor Brock reports.

An Ontario truck driver who is accused of killing a mother and daughter in a fatal crash near Altona, Man., has been granted bail after previously fleeing the country for months.

In November 2024, Navjeet Singh was charged with two counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and obstructing a peace officer in connection to a collision west of Altona, Man. He then left the country and a Canada-wide warrant was issued for his arrest.

Nine months later on Aug. 21, Singh was arrested at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport after arriving on an Ethiopian Airlines flight, according to police. The next week in a Manitoba courtroom, Singh was released during his bail hearing with several court-ordered conditions.

Those conditions include surrendering his driver’s licence and Indian passport, residing at a specific address in Cambridge, Ont., and reporting weekly by phone to a representative of the Morden RCMP detachment.

Provincial court Judge Michael Clark referred to the collision as a “horrific event” and said that Singh has the potential for a lengthy term of imprisonment if convicted. However, he said Singh is presumed innocent and that reasonable bail is not to be denied without just cause.

“I do think that the public would maintain confidence in the administration of justice if I were to release Mr. Singh on appropriate conditions. And I will do that,” he said.

The Crown attorney alleged Singh, who was operating a semi-truck at the time, was traveling eastbound on Provincial Road 201 and blew through a stop sign at the intersection of Provincial Road 306—killing two occupants of an SUV.

Sara Unger, 36, was found dead at the scene while her eight-year-old daughter Alexa was transported by STARS Air Ambulance to the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg where she later died, according to the Crown attorney.

Court heard highway conditions were normal with good visibility, and that there were no environmental concerns.

A collision analyst concluded the semi-truck had to have been travelling at or above 91 km/h when it struck the passenger side of the southbound SUV. The Crown attorney said a witness described the collision as an “explosion” and that the force was so severe that the front of the SUV was almost removed.

The SUV—which had its brakes engaged just prior to the collision—was “football kicked” over 53-metres, court heard.

Singh was transported to a health centre as a precaution, according to the Crown attorney, but police were told he would not be able to provide a statement until a later date. While staying at friend’s place in Winnipeg, the attorney claimed Singh contacted the RCMP to arrange a time to provide a statement at the RCMP headquarters—but he never showed.

“He had fled the country in fact,” the Crown attorney said, according to an Aug. 28 bail hearing recording.

The court also heard allegations that Singh had manipulated and falsified his driving logs, and that he had exceeded the daily driving limit for commercial vehicle drivers the day prior to the collision.

None of the claims have been tested in court.

Kinew criticizes bail decision

During question period Tuesday, Premier Wab Kinew weighed in on the decision to grant Singh bail, saying he agreed with the Crown’s comments that the release would endanger public confidence in the justice system.

“In this particular instance, I think we have to – with all respect we have for the justice system – encourage our judges and justices of the peace to reflect on the role that their decisions will have when they are learned by the public,” Kinew said.

“They have an important role to play in ensuring the impartiality and fairness of our justice system, but I would remind those sitting on the bench that you have to make your decisions based on the world as it is, not how you’d like it to be.”

The Manitoba Bar Association denounced Kinew’s comments, saying they pose a risk to the independence of the judiciary.

“It is concerning when politicians offer commentary on cases before the courts that have not yet been adjudicated,” Stacey Soldier, the president of the association, said in a written statement. “Such comments undermine the rule of law and ignore the presumption of innocence. Furthermore, it could ultimately affect the fairness of a trial, which doesn’t just affect an accused person; it also affects victims and loved ones.”