FORT PIERCE, Fla. (CBS12) — Officials in Florida are attributing blame to California for issuing a commercial driver's license to a truck driver involved in a fatal crash on Florida's Turnpike on August 12.
Authorities reported that 28-year-old Harjinder Singh made an illegal U-turn, resulting in a collision that claimed the lives of three individuals, including 30-year-old Herby Dufresne, a Haitian father. Dufresne had entered the U.S. legally through a humanitarian program, leaving behind family members in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Body camera footage revealed Singh speaking limited English prior to the incident, where he later scored only 2 out of 12 on an English proficiency test. Despite these limitations, he held valid commercial driver's licenses in both California and Washington.
Florida officials, including Governor Ron DeSantis, argued that federal law mandates English proficiency for commercial drivers. California's Department of Motor Vehicles stated it adhered to all federal and state regulations when issuing Singh's license, emphasizing that applicants must understand basic traffic signs in English.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced that California, Washington, and New Mexico could lose federal highway safety funding if they do not enforce English language proficiency requirements. Recent investigations indicated California had a low removal rate for drivers violating these standards.
Singh faces felony charges of vehicular homicide and manslaughter as the investigation continues.