A semi-truck driver faces charges after a deadly crash on Florida’s Turnpike in Fort Pierce left three South Florida residents dead, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV).
Harjinger Singh, 28, was arrested and charged with three counts of vehicular homicide. Investigators say Singh attempted an illegal U-turn in a “official use only” turnaround near mile marker 170 on August 12. The truck crossed into the path of a Chrysler Town & Country minivan, sparking the fatal collision.
Photos from the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office show the minivan wedged beneath the semi-truck.
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The 30-year-old minivan driver from Florida City was airlifted to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital, where he later died.
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Two passengers—a 37-year-old woman from Pompano Beach and a 54-year-old man from Miami—died at the scene.
Singh escaped uninjured.
“The actions taken by the Defendant while operating a commercial tractor-trailer are both shocking and criminal,” said Dave Kerner, FLHSMV Executive Director. “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.”
Arrest and Immigration Status
The U.S. Marshals Service said Singh and a passenger flew to Sacramento the day after the crash. Authorities issued a warrant on August 15, and Marshals arrested Singh on August 17 in Stockton, California.
Investigators later learned Singh had been living in the U.S. illegally since 2018, after crossing the Mexican border.
“Harjinger Singh is in custody on state vehicular homicide charges and immigration violations,” Kerner said. “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.”
License Questions
Despite his immigration status, Singh managed to obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL) in California.
The California DMV explained that Singh received a federal REAL ID CDL after the SAVE System verified his legal status.
“The DMV followed all federal and state laws in reviewing and granting Mr. Harjinder Singh his California commercial driver’s license,” the agency said. “The federal government confirmed Mr. Singh’s legal presence in the United States.”
Singh remains held at the San Joaquin County Jail with an immigration detainer from ICE.
Federal Response
“The American people have suffered the deadly consequences of illegal immigration for far too long,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The DOJ will prosecute every illegal alien and fight against all sanctuary jurisdictions enabling the invasion of our country.”
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