The illegal migrant truck driver accused of killing three in a highway accident failed an English proficiency and traffic sign test administered by investigators.
Harjinder Singh, an Indian national living unlawfully in the United States, was charged with three counts of vehicular homicide after allegedly making an illegal U-turn along a Florida highway earlier in August — resulting in the death of three people. Investigators have since determined that Singh has incredibly poor knowledge of both the English language and American road signs.
During an English Language Proficiency assessment administered by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the Indian national only provided two correct answers out of a 12-question verbal test, according to the Department of Transportation (DOT). Additionally, he could only identify one of four highway traffic signs.
DOT Secretary Sean Duffy declared that the individual should have never been allowed to obtain a Commercial Driver’s License. He also took a swipe at sanctuary laws for allegedly allowing Singh to continue operating as a truck driver.
“If states had followed the rules, this driver would never have been behind the wheel and three precious lives would still be with us,” Duffy said in a public statement Tuesday. “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,” Duffy continued. “We will use every tool at our disposal to hold these states and bad actors accountable.”
Singh allegedly made his deadly turn through an “Official Use Only” access point in St. Lucie County, blocking all lanes with his truck and causing the wreck.
Florida State Troopers obtained a criminal arrest warrant for the Indian national on three counts of vehicular homicide, according to a press release from the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Through their investigation in coordination with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, state investigators determined Singh entered the U.S. illegally in 2018 through the U.S.-Mexico border and subsequently obtained a Commercial Driver’s License in California.
The deadly car crash has reignited debate around illegal immigration enforcement and highway safety standards.
The Trump administration publicly blasted California for allowing the illegal migrant to obtain a Commercial Driver’s License, with Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin saying in a publication statement that “three innocent people were killed in Florida because Gavin Newsom’s California Department of Motor Vehicles issued an illegal alien” the license.
In its Tuesday press release, the Department of Transportation said preliminary results showed both Washington State and New Mexico violated FMCSA rules.
“This is a horrific tragedy that should never have happened,” American Trucking Associations Chief Operating Officer Dan Horvath said in a statement shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation. “While an investigation is underway, this driver’s blatant disregard for highway safety and the rules of the road makes clear he should never have been behind the wheel to begin with.”
“Initial reports from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles that the driver was in the U.S. illegally only raise more questions about how and why he was able to obtain a commercial driver’s license in the first place — questions that the state of California must answer for,” Horvath said.
English proficiency has been a priority of the White House, with President Donald Trump issuing an executive order in April requiring higher English standards for truck drivers.
The DOT press release added that its investigation is ongoing and that federal officials assist Florida investigators in their assessment of what happened.
“President Trump and I will restore safety to our roads,” Duffy said. “The families of the deceased deserve justice.”
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