The semi-truck driver, who allegedly killed three Americans while making an illegal U-turn in Florida, failed an English language proficiency test and also failed to accurately identify highway traffic signs.
In a press release from the Department of Transportation (DOT), it was revealed that officials with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) had launched an investigation into the deadly crash in Florida, which left three people dead.
During an interview with the driver, who has been identified as Harjinder Singh, investigators administered an English Language Proficiency (ELP) assessment. Singh failed the assessment and only provided “correct responses to just 2 of 12 verbal questions,” and he only accurately identified “1 of 4 highway traffic signs,” according to the press release.
“If states had followed the rules, this driver would never have been behind the wheel and three precious lives would still be with us,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement. “This crash was a preventable tragedy directly caused by reckless decisions and compounded by despicable failures. Non-enforcement and radical immigration policies have turned the trucking industry into a lawless frontier, resulting in unqualified foreign drivers improperly acquiring licenses to operate 40-ton vehicles.”
The press release also revealed that on July 15, 2023, Washington State “issued” Singh a “regular full-term Commercial Driver’s License (CDL),” and that on July 23, 2024, the driver was issued a “limited-term/non-domiciled CDL” in California.
Breitbart News reported that the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Department announced on Saturday that “State Troopers obtained a criminal arrest warrant for the driver,” who was reportedly identified as Singh. Singh allegedly entered the United States illegally through the southern border in 2018 and then went on to obtain a “Commercial Driver’s License” in California:
State Troopers obtained a criminal arrest warrant for the driver, Harjinder Singh, for three (3) counts of vehicular homicide. During the course of this criminal investigation and with the assistance of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), State Troopers determined that Harjinder Singh entered the United States illegally, having crossed the Mexico border in 2018. The Defendant then obtained a Commercial Driver’s License in the state of California.
Breitbart News reported that the accident “occurred near Fort Pierce, Florida, on August 12, when a northbound semi-truck allegedly crossed over all lanes” as the driver attempted to use an “official use only” opening to make an illegal U-turn:
The accident occurred near Fort Pierce, Florida, on August 12, when a northbound semi-truck allegedly crossed over all lanes as the driver tried to use an “official use only” turn opening on the Florida Turnpike so he could head south.
The deaths from the fatal U-turn are the latest in a string of deaths from fatal road accidents caused by foreign truck drivers.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order in April, noting that proficiency in English “should be a non-negotiable safety requirement for professional drivers.”
“They should be able to read and understand traffic signs, communicate with traffic safety, border patrol, agricultural checkpoints, and cargo weight-limit station officers,” the order continues. “Drivers need to provide feedback to their employers and customers and receive related directions in English. This is common sense.”
