Tallahassee, Florida– A commercial truck driver accused of killing three people in a fatal Florida crash in August failed his commercial driver’s license test 10 times in two months in 2023 in Washington state before he was eventually issued a license, according to a senior official with the Florida Attorney General’s Office.
Florida used state Harjinder Singhwho is accused In the country illegallyurging the nation’s highest court to permanently prohibit certain states from issuing commercial driver’s licenses or CDLs to people who are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.
In a separate case, another semi-truck driver accused of being in the country illegally was charged with killing three people In a collision on a highway in Southern California This week, a renewal Criticisms of federal officials of immigrant drivers and concerns about who should be able to obtain CDLs.
Here’s what you should know.
Florida’s investigation into Harjinder Singh revealed that the truck driver failed a written test to obtain a CDL in Washington state 10 times between March 10, 2023, and April 5, 2023, a senior official with Florida Attorney General James Othmeyer told The Associated Press. The official was not authorized to comment publicly on the ongoing investigation and provided the information on condition of anonymity.
Singh, who is from India, lived in California and originally obtained a CDL in Washington before California issued him one as well. He had a valid California driver’s license at the time of the accident, according to court filings.
A spokesman for the Washington Department of Licensing said no one was immediately able to respond to questions on Friday. In California, all commercial truck drivers must pass a written test, but may be allowed to skip the driving test if they have an out-of-state driver’s license with an equivalent rating, according to the California Department of Motor Vehicles website. State officials did not immediately respond to requests for more information.
He is accused of attempting to make an illegal turn from the northbound lanes in Florida near Fort Pierce on August 12. A minibus behind Singh’s large platform was unable to stop and collided with the truck, killing its driver and two passengers. Singh and a passenger in the truck were not injured.
Singh is currently being held without bail in the St. Lucie County Jail, not far from where the incident occurred. His next court date is scheduled for November 13.
Florida is now petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to hear its case against California and Washington, urging the high court to block states from issuing CDLs to people who are in the country illegally.
Florida’s petition filed this month says Western states have demonstrated “open defiance of federal immigration laws” and failed to enforce public safety, which Florida is urging the court to consider a “public nuisance.” This is a type of legal claim that is commonly used to process Local concerns Such as damaged homes, illegal drug trade or dangerous animals, but it has also been directed to pharmacies for their role in… Opioid crisis.
If the court accepts the case, Florida officials hope it will create a new legal precedent for states’ ability to issue CDLs to people who are not citizens or lawful permanent residents. The senior Florida official said the ruling may also have an impact on how or whether traditional driver’s licenses will be issued to immigrants.
In a separate case, Jashanpreet Singh was arrested and jailed after an eight-car crash on Tuesday in Ontario, California, killing three people and injuring four others.
Singh, who is also from India, is accused of being under the influence of drugs and causing the fiery accident. According to the California Highway Patrol, westbound traffic slowed on Interstate 10 near San Bernardino Tuesday afternoon when a tractor-trailer failed to stop, striking other vehicles and causing a chain-reaction crash.
The US Department of Homeland Security said Thursday in a post on X that Singh, of Yuba City, entered the United States illegally in 2022 through the southern border.
The US Department of Transportation has taken the necessary steps for this Tightening CDL requirements to non-citizens in September, following a series of fatal accidents this year that officials say were caused by migrant truck drivers.
This week’s fatal crash in California and the confirmation that Jashanpreet Singh entered the country illegally has renewed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s concerns about who should be able to obtain CDL certificates.
Duffy and President Donald Trump have been pressing the issue and criticizing California since the deadly Florida crash in August.
Speaking to Fox News on Friday, Duffy said there were “multiple failures” that allowed Harjinder Singh to obtain his commercial driver’s license.
“The reality is I think we have too many violations in the commercial driver’s license area,” Duffy said. He pointed out that Singh did not speak English and asserted that he could not read road signs.
“So the question becomes… how the hell do you pass the test to get a commercial driver’s license? You can only do that if you’re fraudulent,” Duffy said.
New rules announced last month make obtaining commercial driver’s licenses very difficult for immigrants because only three specific categories of visa holders will be eligible. States will also have to check the applicant’s immigration status in a federal database. These licenses will be valid for up to one year unless the applicant’s visa expires sooner than that.
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Frisaro reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Kate Payne is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America It is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.