A driver's decision to cut across two lanes of traffic to attempt an illegal U-turn on the Florida turnpike near Fort Pierce resulted in the death of three individuals in a mini van who slammed directly into the trailer as it blocked the entire stretch of highway.
The incident, caught on the driver's dash cam, took place on August 12 and has already become a national scandal with the driver facing three counts of vehicular homicide, deportation, and an investigation into where he, as someone who initially entered the country illegally, got his CDL.
That's all according to a Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) release on the tragic crash.
"State Troopers obtained a criminal arrest warrant for the driver, Harjinder Singh, for three (3) counts of vehicular homicide," FLHSMV said in the release. "During the course of this criminal investigation and with the assistance of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), State Troopers determined that Harjinder Singh entered the United States illegally, having crossed the Mexico border in 2018."
The driver of the mini van had almost no chance as the tractor-trailer blocked the entire highway trying to hit an illegal U-turn.St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office
Singh got his CDL in California, according to FLHSMV, and now is under an ICE detainer, meaning he'll be deported at the conclusion of his state charges. However, according to Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on Fox News, Singh may never leave the state again.
“We’re certainly going to charge that person with the heaviest crimes we can and make sure he gets locked up for as long as possible before then getting deported back where he's from," Uthmeier said. Facing three counts of vehicular homicide for the crash that killed a 30-year-old, a 37-year-old and a 50-year-old, Singh could see a prison sentence that lasts “the rest of his life."
Uthmeier's comments echoed those of Florida Highway Patrol Executive Director Dave Kerner, included in the FLHSMV release: "Harjinder Singh is in custody on state vehicular homicide charges and immigration violations. ... At the conclusion of his state charges, he will be deported. The Florida Highway Patrol remains committed to enforcing both state and federal law to ensure that people that are a danger to others face justice behind bars.”
Uthmeier went on to say Florida will "look at ways we can go after California" for issuing Singh's CDL.
California requires only that CDL applicants prove their "residence" in the U.S., and does not track the citizenship status of CDL applicants. Applicants for licenses with the California DMV, including Real IDs, can submit a wide range of documents, including things like photocopies of cell phone bills, letters from any shelter, nonproft, employer, faith-based organization, or government within the U.S. attesting that the applicant is a resident of California. California will even issue CDLs to drivers who don't give a first name, and does not enforce English language proficiency as an out-of-service violation, despite new federal guidance on the topic in June.
Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy responded to the crash on social media, saying that deadly instances like that are "exactly why in June I announced a nationwide audit of non-domiciled CDLs!"
[Related: Rise of the 'non-domiciled CDL' for non-citizen truck drivers: Safety, rates, security]
DOT Secretary Duffy blamed "Joe Biden’s reckless immigration policies," he said, for allowing "many unqualified foreign drivers on our roads who have no business operating a 40-ton truck. This is only one of many tragic accidents that should never have happened. Our investigators have already uncovered serious red flags in how states are doling out these CDLs."
Singh drove for a carrier called White Hawk Carriers Inc. out of Ceres, California. Overdrive contacted White Hawk for comment but did not hear back. White Hawk's violation record in the FMCSA's CSA Safety Measurement System contains multiple hours of service and driving without a valid CDL violations in 2025, but the company remains "unrated" in the system.
While Florida's Uthmeier and DOT's Duffy both pointed to former President Biden's immigration policies as a contributing factor to the crash, Singh entered the country in 2018 during President Donald Trump's first term.
Futhermore, Florida also issues non-domiciled CDLs, or CDLs to non-citizens in the country with a temporary work authorization, similarly to California. Duffy mentioned the "audit" of these CDLs for non-citizens, announced in June along with action on Trump's executive order mandating English for all CMV drivers. But DOT did not respond to Overdrive requests for comment on what the department is actually doing.
Overdrive has completed its own audit of all 50 states' CDL issuance practices that includes numbers from Florida showing more than 5,000 active non-domiciled CDLs issued by the state.
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