Truck Driver Charged After Accident Leaves U.S. Citizen Critically Injured
Authorities in Indianapolis, Indiana, have charged a truck driver, identified as Sukhdev Singh, 25, with causing an accident that seriously injured a U.S. citizen. The incident reportedly took place on the night of March 6, when Singh allegedly struck a pedestrian at the intersection of E. Raymond Street and Interstate 65.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) apprehended Singh, who was found to have a commercial driver’s license issued in New York. Following the crash, Indiana State Police took him into custody and reached out to ICE officials.
A statement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) indicated that Singh remains in ICE custody as his immigration case unfolds. The victim was taken to a local hospital and is currently in critical condition.
In related news, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy warned last December that New York could potentially lose $73 million in federal highway funds. This concern arose after an audit revealed that more than half of the state-issued commercial driver’s licenses to immigrants were granted illegally. Duffy pointed out that the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles had a habit of issuing eight-year licenses even when a person’s immigration documents were set to expire much earlier, which he characterized as a “neglect of duty.”
This warning came on the heels of a tragic incident in Tennessee, where a truck driver with a non-domicile CDL from New York allegedly caused a fatal crash while distracted by a video on his cellphone. So far, details about the driver’s immigration status, identified as Huang Yisong, remain unclear.
Furthermore, in February, The DOT put forth new rules aimed at preventing unsafe immigrant drivers from acquiring commercial driver’s licenses, emphasizing the lack of thorough checks for foreign drivers. Unlike U.S. drivers, who undergo extensive background checks, states often struggle to access the driving records of foreign nationals.
The ongoing safety concerns have been highlighted by recent tragic events, including a case where a father and son were killed in Ohio when a suspected immigrant truck driver crashed into several parked vehicles without slowing down.
DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Biss commented on Singh’s situation, stating that it is “common sense” that undocumented immigrants should not be operating large trucks on American roads. She expressed wishes for the victim’s recovery and raised concerns about the dangers posed by individuals unfamiliar with traffic laws driving large vehicles. In her view, state leaders should reconsider policies that allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses.
