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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealed on Saturday that an immigration detainer has been placed on an undocumented immigrant linked to a tragic high-speed pursuit in Ohio. The chase resulted in a crash that killed a pregnant 17-year-old girl and her unborn child, while also injuring another woman.
Authorities identified the suspect as Tarsem Singh, an Indian national. Singh has been indicted on several charges, including vehicular homicide, involuntary manslaughter, and reckless homicide, according to DHS reports.
Currently, Singh is held on a bond set at $1 million. Additionally, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has filed an arrest detainer with Ohio law enforcement agencies.
The deadly incident occurred on February 16, after a deputy from the Darke County Sheriff’s Office observed an SUV traveling nearly 25 mph over the speed limit, prompting the chase.
Singh faces serious charges in connection with the accident that resulted in the tragic loss of the young expectant mother and her unborn child.
Officials said the deputy attempted to catch up to the SUV, allegedly driven by Singh, and paced the vehicle at 100 mph.
As the deputy activated his emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop, the SUV sped away, driving roughly five miles at speeds reaching 124 mph before crashing into an eastbound vehicle on a curve, according to the sheriff’s office.
The deputy immediately notified dispatch of the crash and checked for injuries, finding pregnant 17-year-old Ashlee Holmes, Singh’s passenger, dead after being ejected from the vehicle, local outlet WDTN reported.
US Department of Homeland Security Police officers patrol around the Edward Roybal Federal Building in Los Angeles. (Frederic Brown/Getty Images)
Singh was taken by CareFlight to Miami Valley Hospital.
The female driver of the eastbound vehicle was conscious and alert with injuries, and taken to Union City to Reid Hospital in Richmond, Indiana, according to the sheriff’s office.
Officials said the pursuit lasted less than three minutes from the time it was initiated until the crash.
It is unclear why Holmes was in Singh’s vehicle.
“This is yet another tragic reminder of why illegal aliens should not be driving cars on America’s roads,” DHS acting assistant secretary Lauren Bis wrote in a statement. “A 17-year-old woman and her unborn child are now dead as a result of this illegal alien’s reckless actions.”
Authorities are investigating the explosion. (Stephen M. Katz/South Florida Sun-Sentinel/Tribune News Service)
Singh allegedly entered the country illegally in February 2017 through the southern border in California and was arrested before being ordered released by a judge on bond.
Bis said the newly filed ICE detainer was lodged against Singh to ensure he is “never released and allowed back behind the wheel to put more innocent lives at risk.”