A fatal crash involving a semitrailer and minivan on Florida's Turnpike has fueled a verbal tussle between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office over immigration.
The Florida Highway Patrol said that the driver of the commericial truck was in the country illegally when he attempted an illegal U-turn on Aug. 12 in St. Lucie County. Troopers said the minivan was unable to stop and slammed into the trailer, which was blocking the highway, The three people in the minivan were killed.
Troopers said the truck driver, Harjinger Sing, entered the U.S. illegally from Mexico in 2018 and obtained a commercial driver's license in California.
California is one of 19 states, in addition to the District of Columbia, that issue licenses regardless of immigration status, according to the National Immigration Law Center. Supporters of such policies say driver's licenses provide a lifeline for people to work, pick up children from school, visit doctors and travel safely.
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for Homeland Security, said issuing a commercial license to someone in the country illegally is “asinine."
Newsom's press office, which has been in a heated online war of words over congressional redistricting, responded on X that Singh obtained a work permit while Donald Trump was president. McLaughlin disputed that, saying the government denied him a permit during Trump's first term in September 2020 and granted him one in June 2021, under President Joe Biden.
Florida does not issue driver's licenses to immigrants in the country illegally.
False. Harjinder Singh is in the United States illegally and his work authorization was rejected under the Trump Administration on September 14, 2020. It was later approved under the Biden Administration June 9, 2021.
— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) August 18, 2025
The state of California issues Commercial Drivers Licenses.… https://t.co/4YSs3qIj2B
Much of Singh's immigration history was not immediately clear Monday, including his country of citizenship.
Singh is charged with three state counts of vehicular homicide and immigration violations. The federal government has asked that he be transferred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody after his criminal case is complete.
The truck driver was making a U-turn in an area marked for “official use only,” the highway patrol said.
A 54-year-old man from Miami and a 37-year-old woman from Pompano Beach died at the scene. A 30-year-old man from Florida City was taken to Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce, where he died.
Singh and his passenger in the semitrailer were not injured.
"It is evident that the driver of the commercial semitruck recklessly, and without regard for the safety of others, attempted to execute a U-turn utilizing an unauthorized location. As a result of his actions, the three occupants of the minivan are now deceased," the highway patrol said in a statement.
Singh was not listed in the St. Lucie County Jail. No phone number or address for Singh was listed in public records.
Video of the crash has gone viral on social media.
