ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FL (CBS12) — A crash on Florida's Turnpike on August 12 resulted in three fatalities and has sparked a national debate on commercial driver licensing.
The incident occurred when truck driver Harjinder Singh attempted an illegal U-turn across the northbound lanes near mile marker 171. A minivan traveling at highway speed collided with the tractor-trailer, leading to the deaths of all three occupants inside the minivan.
Authorities reported that Singh, 28, who entered the U.S. illegally in 2018, had previously failed several commercial driver's license (CDL) tests in Washington state before obtaining a CDL in California earlier in 2025.
According to St. Lucie County Sheriff Richard Del Toro, Singh's actions, described as “a catastrophic crash,” highlighted critical gaps in the CDL system. “This is not a policy debate; it's a permanent loss for families,” Sheriff Del Toro testified before Congress.
Singh has pleaded not guilty to charges including vehicular homicide and is currently jailed in St. Lucie County.
In response to the crash, Florida has enacted measures to strengthen its licensing system, including electronically verifying immigration status and requiring that all CDL tests be conducted in English. The state has also paused issuing non-domiciled CDLs pending new federal regulations.
Del Toro emphasized the need for national consistency in licensing standards, stating, “Highway safety is not a partisan issue; it is a public safety responsibility.”