The family of Bekzhan Beishekeev, a Kyrgyzstani truck driver detained in the USA after a tragic traffic accident, has called on diplomats to prevent him from becoming a victim of the anti-immigrant campaign. They assert that what happened was an accident and ask Bishkek to provide legal support to their citizen. The accident, which resulted in the deaths of four people, occurred on February 3.
According to Bekzhan's older brother, Ruslan, they could not imagine that his face would appear at a briefing in the White House, where he was labeled an illegal immigrant responsible for the tragedy. Ruslan emphasizes that their mother is suffering the most, as Bekzhan is her youngest son. “All this negative reaction on social media has greatly affected our mother. She cannot cope with the stress; she has high blood pressure and is bedridden,” shares Ruslan Koigeldiev, Bekzhan Beishekeev's brother.
Bekzhan always dreamed of living in America and realized his dream two years ago by obtaining a driver's license and getting a job with a freight transportation company. However, two weeks ago, tragedy struck. Dashcam footage shows him driving on the highway when a truck in front of him suddenly slowed down. Bekzhan did not have time to brake and swerved into the oncoming lane to avoid a collision, where he crashed into a minibus.
As a result of the accident, three passengers in the minibus died at the scene, and a fourth died in the hospital. Discussions began on social media about what happened. Some claim that Bekzhan did not maintain a safe distance, others suggest that he might have been distracted by his phone, while others believe that he fell asleep at the wheel.
“They say he allegedly fell asleep at the wheel. This is not true! — asserts Ruslan. — Company representatives informed us that in three days Bekzhan drove only 600 miles, so the version that he fell asleep has no basis. Truck drivers know that 600 miles is not much.”
After the incident, Bekzhan was arrested and placed in the Jay County Jail, then transferred to an immigration detention center in Fort Wayne. U.S. authorities declared him an illegal immigrant, claiming that he entered the country illegally through the CBP One app.
The traffic accident became the topic of a briefing at the White House, where press secretary Caroline Levitt presented journalists with a photo of Bekzhan, stating that if the previous administration under President Joe Biden had not allowed everyone through this app, the tragedy would have been prevented.
As noted by Kyrgyzstani individuals in the USA working in freight transportation, this case has gone beyond criminal news and has become part of the political discourse in the country. “The fact that he is called an illegal driver is a lie. How can he be illegal if he has a status issued by the previous government? Illegals cannot obtain commercial driver's licenses. It is impossible,” says Timur Tilenov, founder of a logistics company in the USA.
Bekzhan Beishekeev's future in the USA remains uncertain. His family reports that the Kyrgyzstan Embassy, along with his employer, is seeking a lawyer, whose services are quite costly. Diplomats assure that the situation is under their control.
Bekzhan's family urges the Kyrgyz government to pressure U.S. authorities to ensure that the investigation into the traffic accident is conducted objectively.
