California Father Says Newsom Ignored Pleas After Undocumented Trucker Left Daughter Disabled
Marcus Coleman, a California truck driver, says Gov. Gavin Newsom has never responded to his repeated calls and emails after his then‑5‑year‑old daughter Dalilah was left unable to walk or speak in a 2024 construction‑zone crash that federal officials blame on an undocumented Indian national, Partap Singh, driving an 18‑wheeler. According to DHS, Singh failed to stop in a construction zone and triggered a multi‑vehicle pileup that critically injured Dalilah, who spent three weeks in a coma and now, at 7, is nonverbal and relearning to walk with intensive therapy. Coleman tells Fox he has been denied Social Security and other public benefits for her care and says his family is "falling short" financially, accusing California leaders of prioritizing politics over victims and calling the state’s policies allowing foreign‑born truckers to obtain CDLs with what he describes as minimal oversight "gross negligence." The case has drawn national attention from Trump administration officials, including Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who blasted California’s "weak leadership" and tied the crash to broader concerns about licensing standards for non‑citizen commercial drivers. Coleman says the only acknowledgment from Newsom has been a social‑media post accusing Trump and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem of politicizing the tragedy, which he believes "totally neglected" his daughter’s suffering.
📌 Key Facts
- DHS says the June 20, 2024 California construction‑zone pileup was caused by an 18‑wheeler driven by Partap Singh, an undocumented immigrant from India, who allegedly failed to stop and hit the Coleman family’s vehicle.
- Dalilah Coleman, then 5, spent three weeks in a coma and is now nonverbal and relearning to walk, requiring ongoing intensive therapy.
- Marcus Coleman says he has received no response from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office, has been denied Social Security and other assistance for his daughter’s care, and criticizes California’s CDL policies for foreign‑born drivers as "gross negligence."
📰 Source Timeline (1)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time