The premier news source for Snohomish County

FLORIDA—An undocumented immigrant licensed to operate a semi-truck, on Tuesday, August 12, performed an unlawful U-turn on the Florida Turnpike resulting in a collision that killed three people. The driver, Harjinder Singh, 28, is now facing three counts of vehicular homicide and potential deportation. Singh, enter the U.S. illegally in 2018 through Mexico, Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) reports.

The crash occurred around 3 p.m. near mile marker 171 in northern St. Lucie County. Singh was operating a 2024 International tractor-trailer when he attempted an illegal U-turn on the freeway crossing into the path of a northbound 2015 Chrysler Town & Country minivan. The authorized speed on the turnpike is 70 miles per hour.

The black minivan became wedged under the trailer, leading to the immediate deaths of two passengers: a 37-year-old woman from Pompano Beach and a 54-year-old man from Miami. The minivan’s driver, a 30-year-old man from Florida City, was transported to a hospital but later succumbed to his injuries.

Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) arrested Singh at the scene and charged him with three counts of vehicular homicide. In addition to state charges, FHP issued an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer against Singh who is currently in custody, and deportation proceedings are expected to follow the resolution of his criminal case.

Despite being an undocumented immigrant, Singh obtained a commercial license in California, according to Florida Highway Patrol, where state law under Assembly Bill 60 (AB 60), enacted in 2015, permits undocumented individuals to apply for non-commercial driver’s licenses with proof of identity and residency, marked as “not for federal identification.”

Once a person obtains a non-commercial Class C California Driver’s License (standard driver’s license, including AB60), according to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, that person “May apply for a Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP), but must have a CA driver’s license prior to getting a CLP.”  

Federal regulations under 49 CFR Part 383 mandate verification of legal status for CDL issuance, but a Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP) allows an operator behind-the-wheel if accompanied by a valid CDL holder.

According to 49 CFR § 383.25 – Commercial learner’s permit (CLP), A CLP is considered a valid CDL for purposes of behind-the-wheel training on public roads or highways, if “The CLP holder is at all times accompanied by the holder of a valid CDL who has the proper CDL group and endorsement(s) necessary to operate the CMV and is otherwise authorized to operate the CMV for that trip. The CDL holder must at all times be physically present in the front seat of the vehicle next to the CLP holder.”

Cabin video from the truck showed another person in the passenger seat, though it remains unclear if that individual held a valid CDL.

Washington State has a comparable policy for non-commercial licenses, established by House Bill 1444 in 1993, which removed the Social Security Number requirement and allows alternative identity documents for applicants without lawful presence.

FLHSMV Executive Director Dave Kerner described the actions as “shocking and criminal,” stating, “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.”

The incident has now drawn attention on social media and in news reports, with discussions focusing on the implications of state-level licensing for undocumented immigrants and the enforcement of federal CLP and CDL requirements.

In Florida, vehicular homicide is typically a second-degree felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. There is also a mandatory minimum sentence of nine years and three months. 

Author: Mario Lotmore