Baljeet Singh admitted playing Ludo on his mobile phone when his tractor-trailer triggered a seven-vehicle collision that killed a mother and her 11-year-old son
PRAVASISAMWAD.COM
An Indian-origin truck driver has been sentenced to six years in prison in Canada after pleading guilty to dangerous driving that caused the deaths of a woman and her 11-year-old son in a 2022 road crash.
Quebec Court Judge Sacha Blais sentenced Baljeet Singh at the Longueuil courthouse. Singh, who is of Punjab origin, will serve four years, four months and four days after credit for time already spent in custody. He has also been banned from driving for 10 years.
The case relates to a seven-vehicle pile-up on Highway 30 in Brossard in July 2022. Nancy Lefrançois, 42, died at the scene, while her 11-year-old son, Loïc Chevalier, died in hospital. Several others were injured, including Lefrançois’s husband, Benoit Lavoie, who suffered serious injuries and spent weeks in a coma.
Singh was driving a 53-foot tractor-trailer when traffic slowed near a construction zone. He later admitted that he had been playing Ludo on his mobile phone and was not watching the road when the collision occurred.
Judge Blais regarded the phone use as a serious aggravating factor, saying it demonstrated a disregard for the safety of others. Singh’s guilty plea, lack of previous convictions and expressions of remorse were considered mitigating circumstances.
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Court records also showed that Singh initially spoke to investigators before leaving Canada
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A Canada-wide arrest warrant was issued in 2024, and he was arrested in the United States in August 2025 before being returned to Canada
Investigators found more than 40 traffic violations recorded during his final three trips, including repeated mobile-phone use, improper lane changes and breaches of mandatory driving and rest requirements.
The case has renewed attention on the dangers of distracted driving and the responsibilities of commercial vehicle operators on Canadian roads.
