Mother of Oregon Crash Victims Confronts Truck Driver Facing State Charges

Elizabeth Carter leaned toward the passenger window of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicle in October, her voice breaking as she addressed the man accused of killing her son. The 32-year-old driver, Rajinder Kumar, struggled to hold her gaze while she spoke. Carter told him she prayed for his family and acknowledged the difficulty of his situation. She said she knew he had not woken up that morning planning to kill two newlyweds.

The emotional exchange occurred as federal agents prepared to transfer Kumar back to Oregon state custody. He faces two counts of first-degree manslaughter and three counts of recklessly endangering another person in Deschutes County. The charges stem from a highway collision that occurred in November 2025. ICE released video from its Victims of Immigrant Crime Engagement office showing the interaction between the grieving mother and the defendant.

Kumar is accused of jackknifing his commercial tractor-trailer across U.S. Highway 20 on November 24, 2025. The maneuver blocked both lanes of traffic. William Micah Carter, 25, and his wife, Jennifer Lynn Lower, 24, were driving a Subaru Outback when they struck the semi. Both passengers died at the scene. The couple had been married for only 16 days before the crash.

Court and immigration records indicate Kumar entered the United States near Lukeville, Arizona, on November 28, 2022. Border Patrol agents apprehended him at the border and released him into the country under the Biden administration pending removal proceedings. During that time, he received federal work authorization. He later obtained a commercial driver's license from the State of California.

A jurisdictional dispute arose after a Deschutes County grand jury indicted Kumar. He pleaded not guilty in state court. On April 2, county corrections officials released Kumar into the community under Oregon’s state sanctuary policies. They declined to honor an immigration detainer lodged by ICE, which had requested notice before his release. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations agents in Seattle arrested Kumar on April 22 to address his immigration case. They held him at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington.

ICE announced it has returned Kumar to Deschutes County authorities. The agency stated this move ensures he faces a local trial on the felony manslaughter charges before any deportation orders are executed. Acting Field Office Director Julio Hernandez said the coordinated action protects the public and supports the victims' families. He emphasized that the driver will not evade justice.

Department of Homeland Security officials confirmed that federal deportation proceedings are paused while Oregon state prosecutors pursue the criminal charges. Criminal trial proceedings are pending in Deschutes County Circuit Court.