FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A trucker accused of making an illegal U-turn that killed three people on a Florida highway in August has entered a not guilty plea, according to court records.
Harjinder Singh, 28, is being held in the St. Lucie County Jail after being denied bond on three counts of vehicular homicide and immigration violations. Singh, an undocumented driver, lived in California and was originally issued a CDL in Washington before obtaining a CDL in California.
Tragedy Leads to Policy Changes
Fallout from the crash has brought about policy changes, including the emergency action to drastically restrict who is eligible for a non-domiciled commercial learner’s permits (CLPs) and commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) issued Friday by U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
Three Lives Lost
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Singh allegedly attempted to make a U-turn on Aug. 12 from the northbound lanes of Florida’s Turnpike near Fort Pierce. A minivan behind Singh’s truck couldn’t stop and crashed into the truck, killing its driver and two passengers. Singh and a passenger were uninjured.
According to Duffy, an audit conducted after the Florida crash showed the previous rules weren’t strict enough and that a number of states weren’t following them consistently. He added that Singh should have never received a CDL because of his immigration status.
The review also found that CDLs were improperly issued in California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas and Washington.
California Hit with Additional Sanctions
As part of Duffy’s emergency actions announced on Friday, California was hit with specific sanctions.
In addition to the emergency rule, Duffy announced direct enforcement action against California. The state must immediately:
- Pause issuance of non-domiciled CDLs.
- Identify all unexpired non-domiciled CDLs that fail to comply with FMCSA regulations.
- Revoke and reissue all noncompliant non-domiciled CDLs if they comply with the new federal requirements.
“California’s reckless disregard is frankly disgusting and an affront to the millions of Americans who expect us to keep them safe,” Duffy said. “California must get its act together immediately or I will not hesitate to pull millions in funding. To every other state around the country – find all improperly issued CDLs and revoke their licenses now. We owe it to the American people to ensure only lawful, qualified drivers are operating big rigs on our highways.”
California has 30 days to come into compliance, or FMCSA will withhold federal highway funds — starting at nearly $160 million in the first year and doubling in year two.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
Thank you for the fast response on the situation in Florida and for what’s being done in California,
but I can’t stop there all States need to be check for this, The CDL was supposed to much better then before but it seems to be slipping through the cracks. I’m a CDL holder and have been driving commercial vehicles for over 40 years, the things I see out here are also in four wheelers, I’m not the only one who sees what’s happening. Thank you