The Singh Crash. No Not That One. The Other One. The One With The Ghost Trucking Company.
A deep dive into the November 2, 2021 Pennsylvania school bus crash that killed two and exposed systemic failures in commercial trucking. The fatal truck crash where there is no trucking company. No FMCSA, NTSB, PA State crash data or reports. No truck or driver photos. No marking photos. Nothing. No truck owner data. No truck data. Nothing. There will be a part two to this one, as requested, once FOIA information comes in.
The Bottom Line Up Front
A deadly collision on Interstate 79 that claimed the lives of 14-year-old Brylee Walker and school bus driver Lindsay Thompkins could have been prevented. Canadian trucker Karandeep Singh, operating with multiple mechanical violations, crawled down the highway at 18 mph in a 70 mph zone. The crash wasn’t just individual negligence, but a web of reg failures, questionable business practices, and the vulnerability of school transportation contracts.
The Crash. November 2, 2021
It was 3:47 p.m. on a Tuesday when two worlds collided on Interstate 79 near Route 422 in Muddy Creek Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania.
Lindsay Thompkins, a 31-year-old school bus driver, was behind the wheel of a yellow bus carrying students home from Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School in Midland, Pennsylvania. The charter school, known for producing Broadway-bound performers and athletes, draws students from nearly 90 school districts across the region. These weren't neighborhood kids catching a ride to the local elementary school, these were aspiring artists traveling up to 90 minutes each way to chase their dreams.
In the right lane ahead, barely moving, was Karandeep Singh's semi-truck. The 30-year-old Canadian was hauling a loaded flatbed trailer at what investigators would later determine was exactly 18.5 miles per hour. The speed limit was 70 mph.
The physics were brutal and unavoidable. Thompkins, traveling at 67 mph and likely unable to process the massive speed differential until too late, slammed into the back of Singh's trailer. The impact killed both Thompkins and 14-year-old Brylee Walker instantly. Two other students suffered serious injuries.
What makes this crash particularly haunting is its preventability. This wasn't about weather, visibility, or split-second decisions. This was about a commercial vehicle crawling down an interstate with mechanical violations so severe that investigators later determined it should never have been on the road.
The Driver
Singh's background reads like a case study in the gaps within North America's commercial driving regulatory system. Born in Alberta, Canada, the 30-year-old had been driving commercially but appears to have been operating as an independent contractor rather than a company employee.
Court documents reveal that Singh was "just getting back onto I-79 North after stopping at a truck stop" when the crash occurred. This detail is crucial, it suggests he was accelerating back into traffic flow, yet still only managing 18 mph. For comparison, most fully-loaded tractor-trailers can achieve highway speeds within a reasonable merge distance under normal circumstances.
Where is Singh Today? Singh's legal saga stretched across nearly four years. Initially charged with two counts of homicide by vehicle, aggravated assault by vehicle, reckless driving, impeding traffic, and operating with unsafe equipment, he ultimately pleaded guilty to lesser charges in July 2025.
In a plea deal that outraged victims' families, Singh received just 66 months (5.5 years) of probation and was sentenced to 3-6 months confinement, but was paroled at sentencing. He paid $473 in restitution and court fees. That's $236.50 for each life lost.
Singh's current whereabouts remain unclear. As a Canadian citizen with a criminal conviction in the United States, he likely faces deportation proceedings, though no recent records confirm his immigration status or location.
The Truck Passenger
The media reports say there was a passenger in the truck. No one has ever mentioned this passenger in any other reports.
The Truck
The mechanical inspection conducted nine days after the crash revealed why Singh's truck was moving so slowly, it shouldn't have been moving at all.
According to charging documents, Pennsylvania State Police and motor enforcement officers found "several violations that were present on the truck tractor at the time of the crash that would have resulted in an out of service order."
While the specific violations haven't been publicly detailed, "out of service" orders are serious business in trucking. They're issued for defects that pose an immediate safety hazard, such as:
Brake system failures
Steering mechanism problems
Tire defects or improper securement
Lighting deficiencies
Load securement violations
The fact that Singh continued operating despite these violations suggests either willful negligence or a dangerous lack of understanding about commercial vehicle safety requirements.
The Company
Here's where the investigation hits its first major roadblock. Unlike the infamous Humboldt Broncos crash, which involved the clearly identifiable Calgary-based Adesh Deol Trucking Ltd., the Singh crash lacks a clear company connection.
Singh appears to have been operating either as an owner-operator or an independent contractor. No trucking company has been publicly identified as his employer, and no corporate entity has faced charges related to the crash.
So… what's up?....
Who was responsible for ensuring Singh's vehicle maintenance?
What safety oversight existed for his operations?
How was he vetted before being allowed to operate commercially?
The School: Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School
Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School sits like a gem in the rust belt, occupying the former Midland High School building in Midland, Pennsylvania. Founded in 2006 by education entrepreneur Dr. Nick Trombetta (who also founded Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School), it's become a regional magnet for students pursuing careers in music, theater, dance, creative writing, media arts, and health sciences.
The school's model is audacious. Kids travel from nearly 90 school districts, some up to 90 minutes each way, to attend. For students living outside a 10-mile radius, the school contracts with transportation companies to provide free bus service through a hub system.
At the time of the crash, Lincoln Park contracted with what appears to have been multiple bus companies, including R.J. Rhodes Transit, a family-owned operation that traced its roots to 1932. The company operated over 200 vehicles serving multiple districts across Western Pennsylvania.
R.J. Rhodes wasn't destined to last much longer. By June 2023, the 91-year-old company went out of business, leaving multiple school districts scrambling for transportation. The closure affected Central Valley, Freedom, and Ambridge school districts, all of which had to emergency-contract with ABC Transit and Frye Transportation to maintain service.
This business failure wasn't unique. There's a nationwide crisis in school bus transportation driven by driver shortages, aging fleets, and razor-thin profit margins.
The fatal bus was transporting students home from Lincoln Park's Midland campus, located about 35 miles northwest of Pittsburgh along the Ohio River. The students were likely scattered across multiple counties, making this a complex, multi-stop route covering significant highway mileage.
This wasn't a neighborhood school bus making short suburban runs. These were long-haul routes carrying kids who'd committed to extended daily travel for specialized education. The stakes were higher, the routes more complex, and the potential for interstate highway exposure far greater than typical school transportation.
Where Are the Federal Reports?
In researching this crash, one of the most striking discoveries is what's missing, comprehensive federal investigation reports.
Major bus crashes typically trigger investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which produces detailed reports analyzing everything from driver qualifications to vehicle maintenance to systemic safety issues. The Humboldt Broncos crash, while in Canada, generated an extensive investigation and regulatory response.
Despite extensive searching, no NTSB report specific to the Singh crash has been located.
School bus crashes resulting in multiple fatalities typically warrant NTSB attention
The crash involved interstate commerce (Canadian driver, Pennsylvania crash)
Mechanical violations were a contributing factor
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) maintains databases on commercial vehicle crashes and driver violations, but detailed records specific to Singh's crash aren't publicly available. This raises questions about:
Whether Singh held proper commercial driver licensing
His prior safety record
Oversight of independent operators vs. fleet-employed drivers
The Pennsylvania State Police conducted the primary investigation, which ultimately led to criminal charges, but state investigations, while thorough from a law enforcement perspective, don't typically examine systemic regulatory failures or generate recommendations for industry-wide safety improvements.
The Victims
Brylee Walker, 14. Brylee was a freshman at Lincoln Park, part of the school's creative community. Her parents, Sara and Jason Walker, described their ongoing grief: "We miss her greatly. Life is not the same without her."
At Singh's court appearance in April 2023, the Walkers sought justice for their daughter, attending hearings as the case slowly moved through the legal system. Their presence in that courtroom represented every parent who puts their child on a school bus and expects them to come home safely.
Lindsay Thompkins, 31. Thompkins was the professional at the wheel, responsible for safely transporting other people's children. School bus drivers occupy a unique role, part chauffeur, part guardian, part daily constant in kids' lives. Her death represents not just a personal tragedy, but the loss of someone who'd made child safety her profession.
The Survivors. Two additional students suffered serious injuries but survived. Their names haven't been released, protecting their privacy as minors. But their survival carries its own burden, physical recovery, psychological trauma, and the lifelong memory of a crash that claimed their classmates and driver.
Systemic Failures
This crash illuminates several disturbing trends in commercial transportation safety:
Singh appears to have been operating independently, outside the oversight structure that governs fleet-employed drivers. This creates gaps:
Less systematic vehicle maintenance
Reduced safety monitoring
Unclear liability chains
Potential for undertrained or unqualified operators
The post-crash inspection revealed violations severe enough to warrant an out-of-service order.
When was the last pre-crash inspection?
How did these violations develop undetected?
What inspection regime was Singh following?
Singh's 18 mph crawl on a 70 mph interstate created exactly the conditions that cause multi-fatality rear-end collisions. Commercial drivers are trained to recognize when their vehicles can't maintain safe highway speeds and to exit the roadway or use hazard lanes.
The crash showcases risks specific to school transportation:
Long routes expose students to extended highway travel
Charter schools' wide geographic draw increases complexity
Contract transportation may lack the oversight of district-operated buses
Justice or Judicial Efficiency?
Singh's July 2025 sentencing represents either pragmatic plea bargaining or a miscarriage of justice, depending on your perspective.
Singh pleaded guilty to:
Reckless driving
Involuntary manslaughter
Recklessly endangering another person
The Sentence
66 months probation
3-6 months confinement (paroled at sentencing)
$473 in fines and court costs
The original charges were far more serious:
Two counts homicide by vehicle
Multiple counts aggravated assault by vehicle
Operating with unsafe equipment
Impeding movement of traffic
While specific family statements about the plea deal haven't been publicly reported, their presence throughout the legal proceedings suggests they sought more substantial justice than what the final resolution provided.
Where Are They Now? The Current Status
Singh's current whereabouts are unknown. As a Canadian citizen with a US criminal conviction, he likely faces immigration consequences, but no recent deportation records have been located. His probation status and compliance with sentencing terms remain unclear.
Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School continues operating, now serving over 700 students. The Walkers and other affected families continue living with their loss, largely out of public view.
R.J. Rhodes Transit, the transportation company that went out of business in 2023 represents the broader challenges facing school bus contractors, aging fleets, driver shortages, and economic pressures that can compromise safety and reliability.
School Bus Safety in Crisis
The Singh crash occurred against a backdrop of mounting challenges in school transportation.
According to NHTSA data, between 2014 and 2023, 971 fatal school-transportation-related crashes killed 1,079 people, an average of 108 deaths per year. Notably, 70% of those killed were occupants of other vehicles, not students.
Transportation contractors operate on thin margins, creating pressure to:
Defer maintenance
Minimize training
Accept higher-risk drivers
Cut safety-related expenses
Regulatory Gaps and Different oversight for:
District-operated vs. contracted service
Interstate vs. intrastate operations
Independent operators vs. fleet employees
Public vs. charter school transportation
What This Crash Should Have Changed
Nearly four years after the Singh crash, the systemic issues it revealed remain largely unaddressed:
The crash should have triggered enhanced inspection requirements for commercial vehicles operating near schools or on student transportation routes. No such reforms have been implemented.
The regulatory gaps that allowed Singh to operate with serious violations should have prompted enhanced oversight of independent commercial operators. These gaps remain.
The crash demonstrates the deadly consequences of slow-moving vehicles on high-speed roads. Mandatory speed monitoring or automatic hazard warning systems could prevent similar tragedies.
The vulnerabilities of long-route charter school transportation should have prompted enhanced safety standards for extended student travel. No such standards exist.
The Unanswered
Several critical questions about this crash remain unresolved, driving home the inadequate investigation and follow-up that allowed systemic problems to persist. The public record doesn't detail the exact nature of the "out of service" violations that crippled Singh's truck, leaving us unable to understand precisely what mechanical failures made this tragedy inevitable. More troubling, no company or oversight entity has been identified as responsible for Singh's vehicle maintenance, creating a complete accountability vacuum.
Singh's commercial driving history and safety record prior to the crash remain largely unknown, making it impossible to determine whether this was an isolated incident or part of a pattern of dangerous operation. The absence of NTSB involvement in investigating this fatal school transportation crash is unusual and unexplained, leaving systemic safety issues unexamined.
Perhaps most concerning for public safety is that Singh's current legal status and whereabouts are entirely unclear. For a case involving multiple fatalities, the lack of follow-up on even minimal probation compliance raises serious questions about how our system tracks and monitors dangerous operators after they've caused harm.
Preventable Tragedy
The November 2, 2021 crash on I-79 that killed Brylee Walker and Lindsay Thompkins wasn't an accident, it was a collision between regulatory failure and mechanical negligence, with deadly consequences.
Karandeep Singh's truck shouldn't have been on the road. The mechanical violations found post-crash were severe enough to warrant immediate removal from service. Yet Singh continued operating, creating a rolling hazard that ultimately claimed two lives.
The crash exposed dangerous gaps in commercial vehicle oversight, particularly for independent operators. It highlighted the vulnerability of students traveling long distances for specialized education. And it demonstrated how quickly complex crashes can disappear from public attention, leaving systemic problems unaddressed.
Four years later, Brylee Walker's classmates have graduated. Lindsay Thompkins' route has been reassigned to other drivers. Karandeep Singh has served minimal consequences and disappeared from public view.
The systemic failures that enabled this crash continue to exist, waiting for the next tragedy to expose them again. In the world of transportation safety, that's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when and where.
The Singh crash should have changed things. Instead, it became just another entry in the statistics, a footnote in the ongoing crisis of commercial vehicle safety and school transportation oversight.
Brylee Walker and Lindsay Thompkins deserved better, and until the systemic issues this crash revealed are addressed, future victims will continue paying the price for our regulatory failures.