Truck driver in fatal Florida crash held California driver’s license despite illegal status

The state of California issued a commercial driver’s license to an illegal immigrant from India who is now accused of causing a deadly crash on Florida’s Turnpike and has failed basic English and road sign tests, federal officials said. 

On Aug. 12, Harjinder Singh attempted an illegal U-turn through an “Official Use Only” access point on the Turnpike in St. Lucie County, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) said Aug. 16. Singh’s semi-truck blocked all lanes of traffic, and a minivan collided with the truck. 

The crash killed all three passengers inside the minivan. Singh now faces deportation and three counts of vehicular homicide, the FLHSMV said. 

Video published by Breaking911 shows the crash from inside the truck.

The alleged semi-truck driver who killed three people while making a U-turn at an “Official Use Only” turn on the Florida Turnpike is an ILLEGAL MIGRANT who was granted a commercial driver’s license by the State of California.
pic.twitter.com/Ky7w9hsojX

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) August 17, 2025

According to an Aug. 19 Department of Transportation statement, Singh failed the English Language Proficiency (ELP) assessment in an Aug. 14 interview with the FLHSMV. He answered two of the 12 verbal questions correctly and identified only one of the four road signs. 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) blamed California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration in an Aug. 18 release, saying the state issued Singh a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) even though he had “no legal right to be in the United States.”

The agency added: “Governor Newsom put Americans’ lives directly at risk by arming this illegal alien with the ability to operate a 40-ton killing machine on U.S. highways.” 

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Charlie Kirk in an Aug. 20 interview that CDLs are “reserved for American truck drivers. American citizens.” Duffy, a Catholic, emphasized that English proficiency is essential for road safety. 

He said that even before the crash, the Trump administration had reiterated in May that “English proficiency for truck drivers is critical for safety.” 

In an X post, Duffy also revealed that Washington and New Mexico had previously issued Singh licenses. He said New Mexico failed to conduct an English proficiency test when police stopped Singh for speeding.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told FOX News Aug. 20 she faulted “Gavin Newsom’s DMV” for giving Singh the license. She said, “It was pretty shocking, really, that they would be so dismissive of three American lives, three innocents that were lost because of their policies.”

Singh illegally entered the US in 2018 through California and was arrested near San Ysidro on Sept. 20, 2018. He was released on bond after claiming fear of return to India and has remained in immigration proceedings since, FOX News reported. 

According to the National Immigration Law Center, 19 states and Washington, DC, issue driver’s licenses regardless of immigration status.