Trucker who fled after 2024 crash that killed Manitoba mother, child arrested at Toronto airport

A truck driver has been arrested nine months after he disappeared following a Manitoba crash that killed a mother and daughter, RCMP confirmed Friday morning.

Navjeet Singh, 25, was wanted in connection with the Nov. 15, 2024, collision that killed 35-year-old Sara Unger and her eight-year-old daughter, Alexa.

Singh was arrested by Peel Regional Police and the Canada Border Services Agency at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport shortly before 8 a.m. CT Thursday, RCMP said in a later news release.

Singh arrived in Canada on an Ethiopian Airlines flight, the release said. RCMP had obtained information that he would be on that flight.

He is set to be flown back to Winnipeg to appear before a judge in the coming days.

The victims’ family was notified by Carman RCMP on Thursday. They told the Free Press Thursday evening that they were relieved Singh was taken into custody in Canada.

On Friday, they called on the Canadian and provincial governments to take immediate action to address what they say is corruption and negligence surrounding the licensing and training of foreign semi-truck drivers.

“The United States has already, very recently, recognized the dangers and taken steps to strengthen oversight and put a full stop on truck-driving visas,” the family said in a statement to the Free Press.

“Canada should be following this lead. Families are being killed on our highways because unqualified drivers are pouring through a compromised system. This is not an issue that can be ignored any longer. Public safety should come before political convenience, and reforms must begin now.”

Failed to attend police interview

Police allege Singh was behind the wheel of a semi-trailer that went through a stop sign at an intersection about 13 kilometres west of Altona and struck the SUV driven by Unger. She died at the scene, while Alexa later died in hospital.

Singh, from Brampton, Ont., faces two counts of dangerous driving causing death and one count of obstructing a peace officer. Investigators believe he had been hiding in the Greater Toronto Area since his release from hospital shortly after the crash.

RCMP arranged to meet Singh the day after he was discharged. He initially told officers he was too shaken to provide a statement and then failed to attend the scheduled interview, police said previously.

Singh was expected to remain in Winnipeg with a friend while RCMP examined the crash site and the possibility of criminal charges.

At the time, Manitoba RCMP defended the decision not to detain him after the crash, suggesting there was no indication he would be a flight risk.

“Hindsight is always 20/20,” spokesman Sgt. Paul Manaigre said at the time. “When you look at, ‘OK, now he is running,’ well, then of course we should have detained him, but when you can’t get information from the driver at the hospital… we can’t talk to him.”

Investigators worked with multiple government agencies to find Singh, including Manitoba Motor Carrier Enforcement, Transport Canada and the CBSA.

“This investigation was a combined effort and could not have been accomplished without the hard work of multiple policing organizations,” Pembina Valley RCMP Cpl. Jamie Sokolosky said in the news release.

“This has been an extremely tough time for the family. We thank everyone who put their concerns and comments out there — we all came together to ensure this apprehension was successful.”

‘We want to forgive’

The family of the victims told the Free Press after the crash they were ready to forgive the driver before he fled.

“It’s such a redirection of our attention. It is so unnecessary. I thought this guy must have felt guilt, must have felt remorse,” Suzy Thiessen, the victims’ sister-in-law and aunt, said in November.

“We want to forgive, but now he is evading, and it’s just so hard… to think that he wants forgiveness when he is not taking responsibility.”

The charges against Singh have not been tested in court.

Family members of the victims told the Free Press that Unger was a devoted mother, deeply engaged in both her church and community.

Born in Mexico, she was one of nine children. Her family relocated to Ontario before settling in Manitoba when she was 10.

“She had a big heart, wanted everyone to get along. Her main focus was to grow her faith, and the evidence she left behind is so reassuring that she is in a better place,” her obituary stated.

The obituary described Alexa as “the most sassy full of life little girl you could ever meet.”

“Her love for Jesus and singing was strong, almost like a burning fire, and (she) wasn’t afraid or embarrassed to tell or show everyone around her,” it said.

“She passed away in her daddy’s arms at (Health Sciences Centre), to go be with her mom and Jesus.”

Unger was survived by her husband, Peter Unger, and a son.

Bail not out of the question

Meanwhile, a Winnipeg criminal defence lawyer said bail for Singh isn’t out of the question, despite his decision to flee after the crash.

Scott Newman told the Free Press on Friday that judges weigh several factors in granting bail, even when someone is considered a flight risk.

“There are things you can do to minimize the risk of that,” Newman said, pointing to measures such as surrendering a passport or immigration documents, or wearing an ankle monitor.

“They’re not just going to look at the fact he didn’t come back to turn himself in,” Newman said. “It’s clear that he left the country. That’s the main concern. But it’s hard to do that without a passport or travel documents.”

Newman added Singh’s lack of a criminal record, combined with his arrest, could weigh in favour of release.

“And that might shift the onus on bail — does he have to prove he should be released, or does the Crown have to prove he needs to remain in custody?” he said. “If he has no prior criminal record, it’s harder for the Crown to prove that he should be held in custody.”

If Singh intends to live in Ontario, Newman said, a significant cash deposit could be required.

“If somebody’s putting up $50,000 cash for him, that’s a good incentive for them to ensure he returns to court as required. So there are all sorts of factors.

“It’s certainly not a foregone conclusion, but certainly the allegation of fleeing the jurisdiction is going to make it more challenging to get bail.”

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca