Washington, D.C. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, a federal investigation has shown that a truck driver who is currently facing vehicular murder charges in a Florida crash that claimed three lives was granted commercial driver’s licenses by Washington State and California.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) opened an inquiry after the August 12 collision on Florida’s Turnpike, according to Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. Investigators discovered that Harjinder Singh, the driver, should not have been granted a full-term commercial driver’s license in Washington because he failed an English language test.
According to FMCSA inspectors, Singh recognized only one of four traffic signs and correctly responded to only two of the twelve verbal evaluation questions. Singh crossed the Mexican border in 2018 and was found to have entered the United States illegally.
Singh received a normal CDL from the State of Washington on July 15, 2023, according to FMCSA; nevertheless, people without legal status or asylum seekers are not eligible for that kind of license. Singh was also granted a limited-term, non-domiciled CDL in California on July 23, 2024. According to federal investigators, they are investigating whether the California license was granted in accordance with federal laws.
Singh tried to do an unlawful U-turn at an unapproved site, obstructing traffic and crashing into a minivan. There were three fatalities. Singh is being held on an immigration detainer after being accused with three counts of vehicular murder in Florida.
According to FMCSA officials, Singh’s workplace, White Hawk Carriers, Inc., in California, was the site of the start of their compliance inquiry on August 14. The state licensing documents, the truck’s video, and the company’s driver certification papers are still being examined by investigators.
The inquiry will help Florida’s ongoing criminal prosecution, according to the Department of Transportation.
