How did truck driver in fatal Turnpike crash get license if not legal resident?
The Aug. 12 crash occurred when Harjinder Singh tried to make a U-turn at an 'official use only' area of the Turnpike about 19 miles north of Fort Pierce in St. Lucie County, crossing over into the left lane where the mini van was approaching, according to Florida Highway Patrol. The minivan slammed and crumbled underneath the 18-wheeler's trailer. The crash happened around 3 p.m.
The deceased have not been identified publicly but are known to be a 30-year-old Florida City man, a 37-year-old Pompano Beach woman and a 54-year-old Miami man, Treasure Coast Newspapers reported.
To get a California commercial learner's permit, which you need before getting a commercial driver's license, prospective semi-truck drivers must provide a document that proves they are in the U.S. legally, among other requirements, according to the California Commercial Driver's Handbook. Acceptable documentation for residency includes a renter's lease agreement, a deed or title to residential property, a mortgage statement or home utility bill.
It's unclear how Harjinder Singh obtained a California commercial driver's license if he wasn't living in the country legally.
READ MORE: Migrant driving semi-truck in crash that killed 3 was in the U.S. illegally: FHP
Singh entered the country by crossing the Mexico border in 2018, FHP says.
The crash was the focus of several posts made by the Trump administration on Sunday and Monday, prompting a response from California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
In one post, Newsom's press office said the federal government issued Singh — who entered the country during Trump's first term — an employment authorization document, which allows foreign nationals to work legally in the U.S.
In response, Tricia McLaughlin, the assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, said Singh's work authorization was rejected in September 2020 while Trump was in office and approved in June 2021 while Biden was in office.
Singh is facing three counts of vehicular homicide as a result of the crash, the Florida Highway Patrol said. In addition to the criminal charges, he was also issued an immigration detainer by federal agents.
Singh was not being held in jail in St. Lucie on Monday, records show. His criminal case did not appear on the county's court records as of Monday morning, nor has his name showed up in federal court records or in the state's Bureau of Prisons prisoner database.
Miami Herald staff writers Devoun Cetoute, David Goodhue and David Neal contributed to this report
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