A truck driver accused of making an illegal U-turn that caused a crash killing three South Florida residents on Florida’s Turnpike last week was in the U.S. illegally and is now facing vehicular homicide and immigration charges, authorities said Monday.
According to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), the fatal crash occurred on Aug. 12 at 2:57 p.m. near Mile Marker 171 on the northbound lanes of Florida’s Turnpike in Fort Pierce.
The deadly crash took place in St. Lucie County
FLHSMV said a 2024 International semi-truck attempted a U-turn in an area marked for “official use only,” crossing multiple lanes into the path of a northbound Chrysler Town & Country minivan. The minivan struck the truck’s trailer and became wedged underneath.
The driver of the minivan, a 30-year-old man from Florida City, was airlifted to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital and later died from his injuries. His passengers, a 37-year-old woman from Pompano Beach and a 54-year-old man from Miami, were pronounced dead at the scene. Their names have not been released.
The truck driver, identified as 28-year-old Harjinder Singh of Stockton, California, and his 25-year-old passenger from Yuba City, California, were not injured, FLHSMV said.
Dashcam video shows moment of deadly crash
Dashcam footage from the semi-truck showed the moment Singh attempted the illegal U-turn with his vehicle, blocking all northbound lanes of the Turnpike.
The video captured the minivan crashing into the trailer and becoming trapped underneath. The footage, obtained by Breaking911, has fueled outrage and renewed questions about how Singh was able to secure a commercial driver’s license given his status in the country.
DHS says truck driver entered U.S. illegally in 2018
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Monday that Singh entered the U.S. illegally from Mexico in 2018 and later obtained a commercial driver’s license in California, one of 19 states plus the District of Columbia that issue licenses regardless of immigration status, according to the National Immigration Law Center.
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for DHS, called the licensing of Singh “asinine.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office pushed back on X, saying Singh had obtained a work permit while Donald Trump was president. McLaughlin disputed that, stating Singh’s application was denied in September 2020 under Trump and later approved in June 2021 under President Joe Biden.
Singh faces three state counts of vehicular homicide in addition to immigration violations. DHS said it has requested Singh be transferred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after the conclusion of his criminal case.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
