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By Billal Rahman and Joshua Rhett Miller
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A truck driver has been charged with vehicular homicide after allegedly attempting an illegal U-turn on a Florida highway, causing a crash that left three people dead, authorities said.
Harjinder Singh, 28, was arrested after the collision near Fort Pierce on the Florida Turnpike on August 12 after he tried to turn his tractor-trailer through an "unauthorized location," the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) said.
The Indian national entered the United States illegally when he crossed the southern border in 2018, the FLHSMV said. He could now face deportation after criminal proceedings.
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What To Know
A black Chrysler Town & Country minivan drove head-on into the tractor-trailer as it was making the U-turn, video of the incident taken from the cab of the truck shows. Two passengers, a 37-year-old woman from Pompano Beach and a 54-year-old man from Miami, died at the scene. The driver, a 30-year-old man from Florida City, later died at a hospital, FLHSMV officials told Newsweek.
Neither Singh, of Stockton, California, nor as his passenger, a 25-year-old man from Yuba City, California, were injured in the wreck.
Singh was arrested by U.S. Marshals in California on Saturday on a warrant for three counts of vehicular homicide in connection with the deadly crash in Florida. It is not clear if he will be extradited to Florida to face charges. Federal immigration state troopers have issued a detainer, which could lead to deportation proceedings once the criminal case is concluded.
Under Florida law, vehicular homicide is a second-degree felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said the tragedy was made worse by the fact that it was "totally preventable" adding: "Illegal aliens that have no legal right to be in our country certainly should not be granted commercial drivers licenses."
The FLHSMV said the crash remains under investigation. Its executive director, Dave Kerner, said in a press release that the crash was "both shocking and criminal," and the suspect "will be deported" at the conclusion of his state charges.
California's Assembly Bill 60 (AB 60), enacted in 2015, allows undocumented immigrants to apply for a driver's license if they can provide proof of identity and California residency. These licenses are marked "not for federal identification."
"This is a horrific tragedy that should never have happened. While an investigation is underway, this driver's blatant disregard for highway safety and the rules of the road makes clear he should never have been behind the wheel to begin with," American Trucking Associations Chief Operating Officer Dan Horvath told Newsweek.
"Initial reports from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles that the driver was in the U.S. illegally only raise more questions about how and why he was able to obtain a commercial driver's license in the first place—questions that the state of California must answer for," he added.
What We Know About Harjinder Singh
California Department of Vehicles officials did not immediately provide additional information regarding Singh early Monday.
"We have received your inquiry and are looking into it," spokesman Jonathan Groveman told Newsweek in an email regarding his commercial driver's license.
Singh obtained the license after illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in 2018, according to the FLHSMV.
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Unconfirmed reports online linked Singh to a 2019 crash in Arkansas that destroyed a historic bridge, but officials at California-based US Citylink Corporation confirmed to Newsweek Monday he wasn't involved in the earlier accident.
"This Harjinder Singh is completely different person," US Citylink operations manager Sumi Chawla wrote in an email. "Whatever is posted on social media is not the right information. They are just trying to put these together for no reason."
The driver involved in 2019 accident, an employee of four years also named Harjinder Singh, was fired by the company following the crash, Chawla said.
Singh was processed for expedited removal during the first Trump administration, according to Fox News, but expressed fear of returning to India.
He entered the U.S. on September 20, 2018, near San Ysidro, California, without inspection, admission, or parole by an immigration officer. On the same day, U.S. Border Patrol arrested him, served him with an I-860, and processed him under Expedited Removal with Credible Fear.
On December 26, 2018, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a positive fear finding and issued a Notice to Appear (NTA). On January 10, 2019, an immigration judge set a bond of $5,000, which was posted by an obligor on January 11, 2019.
In 2020, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) rescheduled his hearing to April 5, 2021, in Seattle, Washington. In September 2024, a judge granted a Change of Venue from Seattle to San Francisco, California.
On August 16, 2025, ERO San Francisco placed an I-247A immigration detainer for Singh with the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office in French Camp, California.
What People Are Saying
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement: "How many more innocent people must die before Gavin Newsom stops playing games with the safety of the American public? We pray for the victims and their families. Secretary Noem and DHS are working around the clock to protect the public and get these criminal illegal aliens out of America."
American Trucking Associations Chief Operating Officer Dan Horvath told Newsweek: "This incident underscores the importance and urgency of the work that the Trump Administration is doing to audit CDL issuances nationwide, in addition to its enhanced enforcement of English-language proficiency—a fundamental requirement for operating commercial vehicles in interstate commerce."
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said: "This recent news is a devastating tragedy made even worse by the fact that it was totally preventable. Illegal aliens that have no legal right to be in our country certainly should not be granted commercial drivers licenses. Gavin Newscum's pro-illegal alien policies have deadly consequences. Yet he continues to double down and put illegals over American citizens."
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles executive director Dave Kerner said in a press release on Saturday: "Three people lost their lives as a result of his recklessness, and countless friends and family members will experience the pain of their loss forever. Harjinder Singh is in custody on state vehicular homicide charges and immigration violations. He will no longer be able to damage and destroy the lives of Floridians and visitors. 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."
Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk shared the video on X and wrote: "Deport him to CECOT for life. And then strip California of every federal dollar for as long as it takes. Rogue states must not be allowed to continue shielding, coddling, and licensing illegals."
The California Governor's press office on X noted that Singh entered the United States in 2018, under the Trump administration and before Governor Newsom took office. The office shared a timeline to clarify that the state's current leadership was not responsible for the federal immigration policies in place at the time.
What Happens Next
Federal immigration authorities have issued a detainer for Singh, indicating that potential deportation proceedings may follow once the criminal case concludes. His next court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday.
Update, 08/18/25, 8:38 a.m. and 10:08 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from American Trucking Associations Chief Operating Officer Dan Horvath and further information.
Correction: 8/18/25, 3:08 p.m. ET: Singh's age at the time of arrest has been updated.
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