FORT PIERCE, Fla. (CBS12) — A crash on Florida's Turnpike on Aug. 12 resulted in three fatalities and raised questions about the licensing of undocumented immigrants.
According to authorities, 35-year-old Harjinder Singh executed an illegal U-turn, placing his semi-truck in the path of a minivan. The minivan collided with the trailer, leading to the deaths of all three passengers. Singh has been charged with three counts of vehicular homicide.
Singh, an undocumented immigrant from India, held a valid California commercial driver's license, prompting criticism from Governor Ron DeSantis. “He should never have been here. He certainly shouldn't have gotten a commercial driver's license from California,” DeSantis stated.
After the incident, U.S. Marshals revealed that Singh and a passenger traveled to Sacramento. On August 16, he was arrested in Stockton, California, following a tip-off from the Florida Highway Patrol. Singh was taken into custody without incident, and an immigration detainer was filed by ICE.
U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi condemned California's sanctuary policies, attributing Singh's licensing to these laws. “Sanctuary states like California must end their lawless policies,” she said.
The crash has reignited discussions surrounding immigration enforcement, state licensing laws, and highway safety.
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