Harjot Singh, an Ontario truck driver who failed to stop at a mandatory stop sign in Sainte-Hélène-de-Bagot, has pleaded guilty to hit-and-run charges related to a devastating incident in Montérégie. This negligence had severe consequences for a family, with the parents being ejected from their vehicle in front of their three children.
Singh, a young truck driver residing in Brampton and holding a student visa, recently admitted to leaving the scene after colliding with a family’s minivan about a year ago at the intersection of Rang Saint-Augustin and 5th Avenue, without assisting the injured. Singh had obtained his truck driver’s license only a few months prior.
Singh pleaded guilty to five counts of hit-and-run causing injury at the Saint-Hyacinthe courthouse. Despite clear stop signs, he neither slowed down nor braked, resulting in the accident.
The consequences for the family were severe. The youngest child, aged 4, suffered a broken wrist, while her 5-year-old sister sustained a pelvic injury. Their 10-year-old sister had a fractured knee and multiple bruises. The father suffered several fractures and a head injury. The mother was plunged into a coma and miraculously survived, though she was left severely disabled by her injuries.
When intercepted by the SQ about ten kilometers further along Highway 20, Singh claimed to have alerted the authorities, a lie quickly uncovered by the police. The rear axle of his trailer had sustained significant damage, emitting smoke as he continued to drive and leaving marks on the ground. His phone, found in the middle of a video call at the time of his arrest, showed he had been online for 26 minutes, coinciding with the time of the accident. Despite the lack of evidence that he was actively handling his phone, his irresponsible behavior and flight had disastrous consequences.
At just 21 years old, Harjot Singh now faces the legal consequences of his actions, while the affected family continues to slowly recover from the physical and emotional injuries inflicted that night.
