Truck Driver Handed Back to Oregon for Fatal Crash Trial

Federal immigration agents transferred a truck driver to Oregon state custody to face felony charges for a deadly collision that killed two young newlyweds. The move ends a months-long legal standoff between federal and local authorities over the driver's status.

Rajinder Kumar, 32, was returned to Deschutes County on Monday. He faces two counts of first-degree manslaughter and three counts of recklessly endangering another person. Prosecutors are preparing for a trial in Deschutes County Circuit Court regarding the November 2025 wreck.

Kumar is accused of jackknifing his tractor-trailer across U.S. Highway 20, blocking both lanes of traffic. The couple’s Subaru Outback struck the semi, killing William Micah Carter, 25, and his wife, Jennifer Lynn Lower, 24. The pair had been married for only 16 days before the crash on Nov. 24, 2025.

ICE ERO Seattle announced it paused federal deportation proceedings to allow state prosecutors to pursue criminal charges. Acting Field Office Director Julio Hernandez said the coordinated action ensures the driver answers for the charges before any removal orders are executed. He stated that the families deserve accountability and that the move protects the public.

The transfer occurred after a jurisdictional dispute over Kumar's release. A Deschutes County grand jury indicted him, but he pleaded not guilty in state court. County corrections officials released him on April 2 under state sanctuary policies despite an ICE detainer. ICE agents located and arrested Kumar on April 22, detaining him at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Wash.

Court records show Kumar entered the United States unlawfully near Lukeville, Ariz., in November 2022. He was released pending removal proceedings and later obtained a California commercial driver's license. The video of his return showed Elizabeth Carter, his victim’s mother, speaking to him through an ICE vehicle window before he was handed over to state police.

Carter told Kumar she prayed for him and his family during the interaction. She acknowledged the difficulty of the morning for the driver while maintaining her composure. Kumar struggled to meet her gaze as federal agents prepared the vehicle for the handover.