ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — Harjinder Singh, a truck driver, was arrested and charged with three counts of vehicular homicide following a deadly crash on Florida’s Turnpike in St. Lucie County.
The crash occurred on August 12 when Singh, driving a commercial semi-truck, made an illegal U-turn. A dashcam video captured Singh’s maneuver moments before an oncoming minivan collided with the side of his trailer, killing three people.
State Troopers promptly charged Singh with three counts of vehicular homicide. The investigation revealed that Singh had entered the United States illegally in 2018 by crossing the Mexico border in California. Despite this, he later obtained a Commercial Driver’s License in California.
Kristi Noem, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, stated on X that the fatalities resulted from policies allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain commercial licenses. Former President Donald Trump also criticized California’s “sanctuary state” policies, linking them to the tragedy.
With help from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), State Troopers issued an ICE detainer for Singh under the 287(g) program.
Executive Director Dave Kerner called Singh’s actions “shocking and criminal,” emphasizing that Singh will be deported once state charges conclude. “He will no longer be able to damage and destroy the lives of Floridians and visitors,” Kerner said.
The Florida Highway Patrol reaffirmed its dedication to enforcing state and federal laws to keep dangerous drivers off the roads.
Singh remains held without bail at San Joaquin County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday afternoon.
