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A commercial truck driver who is charged with killing three people in a deadly crash in Florida in August had failed a commercial driver’s license test 10 times in the span of two months in 2023 in Washington state, before he was ultimately issued a license, according to a senior official in the Florida Attorney General’s Office.
Florida is using the case of Harjinder Singh, who is accused of being in the country illegally, to urge the nation’s highest court to permanently bar some states from issuing commercial driver’s licenses or CDLs to people who are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.
In a separate case, another semitruck driver accused of being in the country illegally was charged with the killings of three people in a crash on a southern California freeway this week, renewing federal officials’ criticisms of immigrant drivers and concerns about who should be able to obtain CDLs.
Here’s what to know.
Driver in Florida crash failed driving test repeatedly
Florida’s investigation of Harjinder Singh has revealed that the trucker failed a written test to receive a CDL in Washington state 10 times between March 10, 2023, and April 5, 2023, a senior official for Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier who was briefed on the investigation told The Associated Press. The official is not authorized to comment publicly about an ongoing investigation and provided the information on the condition of not being identified.
Singh, who is from India, lived in California and was originally issued a CDL in Washington before California also issued him one. He was carrying a valid California CDL at the time of the crash, according to court filings.
A spokesperson for Washington’s Department of Licensing said no one was immediately able to respond to questions Friday. In California, all commercial truck drivers must pass a written test but may be allowed to skip the driving test if they have an out-of-state license with equivalent classification, according to the California Department of Motor Vehicle’s website. State officials didn’t immediately respond to requests for more information.
He is accused of attempting an illegal U-turn from the northbound lanes of Florida’s Turnpike near Fort Pierce on Aug. 12. A minivan that was behind Singh’s big rig couldn’t stop and crashed into the truck, killing its driver and two passengers. Singh and a passenger in the truck were not injured.
Singh is currently being held without bond in the St. Lucie County Jail, not far from where the crash occurred. His next court date is scheduled for Nov. 13. --->READ MORE HERE
An illegal alien truck driver accused of causing a crash in Florida that killed three people failed his commercial driver’s license (CDL) test 10 times in two months before finally receiving a license in 2023 in Washington state, Fox News learned from a senior official with the Florida Attorney General’s Office.
Harjinder Singh allegedly crossed the southern border illegally in 2018 and is accused of causing an August crash in Fort Pierce, Florida, that killed three people.
Investigators with the Florida AG’s office learned Singh failed his CDL knowledge exam in Washington state 10 times between March 10, 2023, and May 5, 2023.
They also learned he failed his air brakes knowledge exam twice.
The Washington company that trained Singh for his CDL attested that he could speak English, even though he struggled to speak it proficiently, the senior official said.
Still, Washington issued Singh his first CDL, and California later granted him another.
Bodycam footage released in August shows Singh struggling with limited English after being pulled over for speeding in New Mexico a month earlier, a detail that has become a major focal point in the case.
The footage shows Singh being stopped by a New Mexico State Police officer July 3 for allegedly driving 60 mph in a 45 mph zone. --->READ MORE HERE
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