Who is Harjinder Singh, the truck driver charged in Florida crash that killed three?

Harjinder Singh, an Indian immigrant truck driver accused of entering the U.S. illegally, has been brought back to Florida to face charges of reckless driving that led to the death of three people.

According to Fox News, Singh was escorted off a plane by Florida Lt. Governor Jay Collins, who said in a post on X that he and Governor Ron DeSantis ensured Singh would “face justice.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) lodged an arrest detainer against Singh, who on August 12 allegedly attempted an illegal U-turn through a restricted access point on the Florida Turnpike. The maneuver blocked all lanes, causing a collision that killed three people.


Following the crash, DHS officials criticized California for issuing Singh a commercial driver’s license despite his immigration status. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughin wrote on X that state policies were putting American lives at risk by enabling “criminal illegal aliens.”

The Hill reported that U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has ordered a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration probe into the deadly crash. Calling the incident “a preventable tragedy,” Duffy blamed reckless driving and “radical immigration policies” that allowed unqualified foreign drivers to operate heavy trucks.

Who is Harjinder Singh?

Singh, who allegedly crossed into the U.S. illegally in 2018, had obtained commercial driver’s licenses from California and Washington state. After the crash, he failed a federal English proficiency and road-sign test, answering only two of 12 questions correctly. He also identified just one out of four highway signs.

Singh was arrested in California by U.S. Marshals and now faces three counts of vehicular homicide along with deportation proceedings. Records show Singh had previously been detained by Border Patrol in 2018 and released on a $5,000 immigration bond after claiming fear of returning to India.

The case has intensified the political battle over immigration and licensing policies. DHS and the White House slammed California’s “sanctuary state” laws, while Governor Gavin Newsom’s office countered that Singh entered the U.S. in 2018 under Donald Trump’s presidency.

With the incident sparking outrage, U.S. officials including Senator Marco Rubio have moved to suspend worker visas for foreign truck drivers, citing road safety and job losses for American citizens.

The Harjinder Singh case has now become a flashpoint in America’s immigration debate, raising questions over driver vetting, state licensing policies, and federal enforcement.