A truck driver accused of causing a fatal three-person crash in Florida was denied bond on Saturday and faces deportation proceedings.
Harjinder Singh, a 28-year-old a native of India, was charged with three counts of vehicular homicide this week after allegedly making an illegal U-turn that resulted in a collision with a minivan on a highway approximately 50 miles north of West Palm Beach.
The Context
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) confirmed Singh was arrested after the collision near Fort Pierce on the Florida Turnpike on August 12 after he tried to turn his tractor-trailer through an “unauthorized location.”
A black Chrysler Town & Country minivan drove head-on into the tractor-trailer as it was making the U-turn, video of the incident taken from the cab of the truck shows. Two passengers, a 37-year-old woman from Pompano Beach and a 54-year-old man from Miami, died at the scene. The driver, a 30-year-old man from Florida City, later died at a hospital, FLHSMV officials told Newsweek.
Harneet Singh, the driver’s brother, was a passenger in the vehicle driven by his brother during the fatal crash, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official said in a statement. Both were uninjured in the accident.
Why It Matters
Under Florida law, vehicular homicide is a second-degree felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
California’s Assembly Bill 60 (AB 60), enacted in 2015, allows undocumented immigrants to apply for a driver’s license if they can provide proof of identity and California residency. These licenses are marked “not for federal identification.”
The case has sparked a political clash between federal immigration authorities and California officials over driver’s license policies for undocumented immigrants. The dispute centers on conflicting claims about Singh’s work authorization, with federal officials maintaining Singh was in the country illegally when California issued his commercial driver’s license, while Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom‘s office says Singh obtained proper work permits in 2018 during President Donald Trump‘s previous administration.
What To Know
Singh was denied bond Saturday on all charges, including the three vehicular homicide counts and federal immigration violations. He remains in the St. Lucie County Jail with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) maintaining a hold on him, according to Lieutenant Andrew Bolonka from the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office.
Florida authorities report Singh entered the United States illegally from Mexico in 2018. Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis dispatched Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins to California to personally escort Singh onto an airplane Thursday, bringing him back to Florida for prosecution.
California is one of 19 states, plus the District of Columbia, that issues driver’s licenses regardless of immigration status. Supporters of such policies argue they allow people to work legally, access healthcare, and travel safely.
What People Are Saying
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement: “How many more innocent people must die before Gavin Newsom stops playing games with the safety of the American public? We pray for the victims and their families. Secretary Noem and DHS are working around the clock to protect the public and get these criminal illegal aliens out of America.”
American Trucking Associations Chief Operating Officer Dan Horvath told Newsweek: “This incident underscores the importance and urgency of the work that the Trump Administration is doing to audit CDL issuances nationwide, in addition to its enhanced enforcement of English-language proficiency—a fundamental requirement for operating commercial vehicles in interstate commerce.”
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said: “This recent news is a devastating tragedy made even worse by the fact that it was totally preventable. Illegal aliens that have no legal right to be in our country certainly should not be granted commercial drivers licenses. Gavin Newscum’s pro-illegal alien policies have deadly consequences. Yet he continues to double down and put illegals over American citizens.”
Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk shared the video on X and wrote: “Deport him to CECOT for life. And then strip California of every federal dollar for as long as it takes. Rogue states must not be allowed to continue shielding, coddling, and licensing illegals.”
What Happens Next
Singh will face prosecution on state vehicular homicide charges while simultaneously undergoing federal deportation proceedings.
Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.
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