Fla. Officials Blame California for Licensing Truck Driver in Fatal Turnpike Crash
FORT PIERCE, Fla. (CBS12) — Florida officials are holding California accountable for licensing a truck driver accused in a deadly crash on Florida's Turnpike on August 12. Investigators state 28-year-old Harjinder Singh made an illegal U-turn, blocking all northbound lanes, resulting in a collision that killed three individuals, including 30-year-old Herby Dufresne.
Dufresne, who entered the U.S. through a humanitarian parole program, leaves behind a family in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Friends described him as a hardworking individual who cherished life.
After the crash, Singh reportedly scored two out of 12 on an English proficiency test, despite holding valid commercial driver's licenses in California and Washington. This has triggered significant outrage from Florida officials, who argue that Singh's licensing reflects larger systemic issues.
Florida Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins criticized California's policies, linking the incident to a broader disregard for safety regulations. Governor Ron DeSantis emphasized that commercial drivers must be legally in the U.S. and proficient in English to operate vehicles safely.
California officials maintained that they adhered to all federal and state laws when issuing Singh's license. The Department of Motor Vehicles stated that federal standards require proficiency tests to be conducted in English.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced that California, Washington, and New Mexico could face federal funding cuts unless they enforce English language proficiency rules for truck drivers. Singh currently faces felony charges, which may result in decades behind bars.
Federal investigations indicate California has a minimal record of enforcing English proficiency among truck drivers, prompting further scrutiny of its licensing practices.