An undocumented truck driver has been implicated in a deadly crash that resulted in three fatalities in Florida. Interestingly, this driver, Harjinder Singh, reportedly failed his commercial driver’s license (CDL) exam a staggering ten times over a span of two months before finally obtaining his license in Washington state in 2023, as noted by a senior official from the Florida Attorney General’s Office.
Singh allegedly crossed the southern border illegally in 2018 and was involved in the fatal crash in Fort Pierce in August. According to investigators, he struggled significantly, failing the CDL knowledge exam in Washington on multiple occasions between March and May 2023. There were also indications that he had failed two attempts at the air brake knowledge test.
The training company that prepared Singh for his CDL indicated that he could speak English, albeit with difficulty. Nevertheless, Washington state still issued him his initial license, which California subsequently recognized.
Footage from a body camera released in August revealed Singh struggling with his limited English skills after he was pulled over for speeding in New Mexico a month prior—this detail has gained notable attention in the ongoing case.
In the video, he appeared apologetic while receiving a ticket for allegedly driving 60 mph in a 45 mph zone. Initially, his speech was clear, but as the interaction continued, officers had difficulty understanding him.
Investigators looking into the Florida accident stated that Singh had not passed an English or road sign test.
Singh is accused of causing a tragic incident by jackknifing an 18-wheeler during an illegal U-turn, which led to a collision with a van that killed three individuals.
In response to these events, Florida’s Attorney General’s office is seeking intervention from the Supreme Court to prevent California and Washington from issuing CDLs to undocumented immigrants. They argue that these states are not following federal security and immigration guidelines.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy remarked on October 15 that many truck drivers do not meet the necessary English language requirements, an issue currently under scrutiny by the department.
Duffy also emphasized this summer that states needed to enforce the Trump administration’s English language requirements for truck drivers, warning that failure to comply could result in financial repercussions. He criticized California for not ensuring that truck drivers could read road signs and communicate effectively with law enforcement, labeling this as a fundamental safety concern.
