A California family says they pleaded for help after their young daughter was permanently injured by an illegal alien truck driver — but Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office claims it never received their outreach.
However, phone records obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation now challenge that assertion.
Dalilah Coleman, a first grader at the time, suffered devastating injuries after being struck in a multi-car crash in San Bernardino County on June 20, 2024.
The accident left her dependent on medical care, unable to walk or speak, and prevented her from attending school as planned.
Local authorities arrested Partap Singh, an Indian national, charging him with causing the crash after investigators said he drove at unsafe speeds and ignored traffic controls.
Marcus Coleman, Dalilah’s father, says he reached out to Newsom’s office on June 25, 2024, leaving a voicemail and sending an email to seek help for his daughter.
Call logs show Coleman was on the line for roughly five minutes.
“I explained to them what was going on,” he told the outlet. “They said they would take the phone message, so I did that, and then I also sent them an email, and I received nothing back on either one.”
Newsom staff maintain that their constituent affairs team has no record of outreach from the family.
National data highlights that Dalilah’s tragedy is far from isolated.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and Department of Transportation identify “chameleon carriers”—trucking companies that repeatedly change their names and registrations to bypass federal oversight—as a major risk to highways.
Fatal crashes involving unqualified or illegally licensed drivers, including non-domestic drivers, have prompted federal action to tighten commercial driver licensing and prevent repeat offenders from operating.
The American Trucking Associations has supported these measures, warning that unsafe carriers endanger all motorists.
Further investigation revealed Singh had entered the United States illegally in October 2022 and had been released by federal authorities.
Coleman also discovered that the trucking company involved repeatedly changed its name to evade oversight.
Federal legislation is now moving forward.
The DOT recently implemented rules restricting commercial driver’s licenses for non-domiciled drivers as part of broader efforts to prevent similar tragedies.
Congressional hearings have highlighted the stakes: in one year alone, at least 17 fatal crashes involving 30 deaths involved illegal or unvetted commercial drivers.
The Coleman case illustrates the national risks lawmakers are attempting to address.
President Donald Trump invited Dalilah and her family to his State of the Union address last month, emphasizing the need for federal action.
“Dalilah Coleman was only 5 years old when an 18-wheel tractor-trailer plowed into her stopped car traveling at 60 miles an hour or more,” Trump said. “The driver was an illegal alien let in by Joe Biden and given a commercial driver’s license by open borders, politicians, and California.”
He called on Congress to pass “Dalilah’s Law,” which would bar states from granting commercial licenses to illegal aliens.
Indiana Sen. Jim Banks (R) introduced the bill the day after Trump’s speech, and Coleman has since worked with his office to gain support for the legislation.
“I don’t need to sit here and have a conversation with you,” Coleman said. “I need you to see what my daughter’s going through because this is something that’s going to continue happening.”
Newsom’s office did not respond to follow-up requests regarding the phone logs.
The governor, term-limited and considered a top contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, has faced scrutiny over the lack of response to constituents in urgent situations.
