Driver in Florida crash failed test 10 times; California tragedy reignites scrutiny of non-citizen truckers

The Florida government is urging the US Supreme Court to bar states from issuing CDLs (commercial driver’s licences) to people who are not US citizens or lawful permanent residents, citing a fatal crash involving a trucker accused of being in the country illegally.

The case involves Harjinder Singh, an Indian national charged with killing three people in a crash on Florida’s Turnpike in August. A senior official in the Florida Attorney General’s Office said Singh failed his commercial licence test 10 times in Washington state between 10 March and 5 April 2023, before eventually being granted one.

Singh, who lived in California, later obtained a California CDL, which was valid at the time of the crash. He allegedly made an illegal U-turn near Fort Pierce on 12 August, causing a minivan to collide with his truck, killing its driver and two passengers. Singh and a passenger in his vehicle were unhurt.

He is being held without bond in the St Lucie County Jail, with his next court appearance set for 13 November.

Florida’s petition argues that California and Washington have shown “open defiance of federal immigration laws” by issuing CDLs to immigrants without legal status. It asks the Supreme Court to declare such actions a “public nuisance”, a designation normally reserved for local hazards such as unsafe properties or drug activity.

If accepted, the case could set a precedent limiting states’ power to issue CDLs — and potentially standard licences — to noncitizens.

A separate crash in California this week reignited the controversy. Jashanpreet Singh, also from India, was arrested after an eight-vehicle collision on Interstate 10 near San Bernardino, which killed three people and injured four. Authorities said he was under the influence of drugs at the time. The US Department of Homeland Security said he entered the country illegally in 2022.

In September, the US Transportation Department tightened CDL rules, restricting eligibility to three specific visa categories and requiring states to verify immigration status through a federal database.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Fox News on Friday there were “multiple failures” that allowed Harjinder Singh to obtain his licence.

“He didn’t speak English and couldn’t read road signs,” Duffy said. “So the question becomes … how in the heck can you ever pass a test for a commercial driver's licence? You can't do it but for fraud.”

Both crash cases have become flashpoints in the wider political debate over immigration, road safety and federal control of state licensing powers.

With PTI inputs