TAMPA, Fla. — During a press conference on Thursday in Tampa alongside Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister who announced the dismantling of a diesel theft ring, Attorney General James Uthmeier announced legal action tied to a separate case involving a fatal semi-truck crash “caused by an illegal alien licensed in another state,” according to a release from the AG’s office.
Ulthmeier said his office has issued a criminal subpoena to the Ceres, California-based company White Hawk Carriers, who is the employer of Harjinder Singh.
Ulthmeier said his office also issued legal demands to California and Washington for their role in issuing the commercial driver’s license, according to a press release from the Florida AG’s office.
Uthmeir also announced on Aug. 25 that Florida’s agricultural law enforcement and state police are now using the state’s agricultural inspection stations (also known as interdiction stations) as “strongholds of immigration enforcement.”
“States like California and Washington ignored the rules, gave an illegal alien a license to drive a 40-ton truck, and three people are dead as a result. (This was a) preventable tragedy due to sanctuary state policies,” Uthmeier said.
Singh is facing three counts of vehicular homicide in Florida after he allegedly made an illegal U-turn that caused a crash tha killed three people.
On August 12, 2025, Harjinder Singh, allegedly made an illegal U-turn on the Florida Turnpike near Fort Pierce in St. Lucie County. His trailer jackknifed, blocking the northbound lanes, leading to a collision with a minivan, killing all three people inside. Singh, who faces three manslaughter charges and three counts of vehicular homicide, was extradited to the St. Lucie County Jail and denied bond. He faces up to 90 years in prison before deportation.
Ulthmeier’s action is just another fallout from the incident.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy accused three states of failing to adopt and enforce English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirements for commercial drivers and is threatening to cut off federal funding if they don’t comply or enforce ELP regulations.
Duffy threatened that if California, New Mexico, and Washington do not comply within 30 days that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) will withhold up to 100% of funding from the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP).
“States don’t get to pick and choose which federal safety rules to follow,” Duffy said. “As we saw with the horrific Florida crash that killed three, when states fail to enforce the law, they put the driving public in danger. Under President Trump’s leadership, we are taking aggressive action to close these safety gaps, hold states accountable, and make sure every commercial driver on the road is qualified to operate a 40-ton vehicle.”
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
