Arrest made in 2020 Sacramento crash that killed former Elk Grove mayoral candidate
Authorities have charged a man with vehicular manslaughter in connection to a September 2020 chain-reaction crash on Interstate 5 in Sacramento that killed a former Elk Grove mayoral candidate.
Harsimran Singh was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence in connection with the death of Joel David Broussard, said Officer Mark Leavitt, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol South Sacramento Area Office.
Leavitt said Singh was arrested Feb. 26 and booked at the Sacramento County Jail. He was released on bail the following day. Singh’s age and city of residence was not available Thursday. Levitt said he did not know whether Singh was arrested by a police agency or turned himself in to authorities.
The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office filed a criminal complaint against Singh on Feb. 28, charging him with the vehicular manslaughter charge, according to Sacramento Superior Court records. Singh’s arraignment hearing was held Tuesday, and he’s been scheduled to return to court April 4.
Broussard, 39, of Elk Grove died Sept. 8, 2020, after a big rig hauling plywood failed to slow for traffic ahead and smashed into several vehicles on I-5 in the Pocket section of Sacramento.
ABC 10 first reported Singh’s arrest after obtaining from Broussard’s family a CHP report that indicated Singh, the big rig driver, was speeding at 64 mph in a construction zone, driving over the federally-mandated maximum hours and allegedly falsified his electronic logging device on the day of the crash.
The CHP said the big rig driver failed to slow his vehicle and started a chain-reaction crash involving 10 other vehicles. Investigators were still trying to determine why the big rig driver failed to slow down.
Broussard was driving a red Chrysler 300, which was among the vehicles rear-ended by the big rig. Two other people were taken to local hospitals after suffering minor injuries in the crash. The CHP said at the time that neither alcohol or drugs was believed to be a factor in the collision.
In 2016, Broussard, then a 35-year-old district manager for The Coca-Cola Company and former firefighter, ran for mayor of Elk Grove. The following November, Broussard was among six candidates who lost to then Vice Mayor Steve Ly.
This story was originally published March 3, 2022 at 7:56 PM.
