FORT PIERCE, Fla. (CBS12) — Harjinder Singh, the truck driver involved in a fatal Florida Turnpike crash that killed three people, appeared in St. Lucie County court on Wednesday afternoon.
The judge denied a motion to quash an attorney's notice of appearance connected to the case. Singh faces charges stemming from an August 12 incident, where authorities say he made an illegal U-turn through an “Official Use Only” access point near mile marker 171, blocking all northbound lanes and causing the collision.
According to FHP investigators, the crash left the minivan with no time to brake, resulting in three fatalities. Singh, 28, has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The case has sparked a nationwide debate over commercial driver licensing and immigration issues. Federal records allege Singh entered the U.S. illegally in 2018 and obtained commercial driver's licenses in California and Washington, raising questions about English proficiency and adherence to federal commercial licensing standards.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Florida's lawsuit against California and Washington over these licensing practices, effectively concluding the state's effort to escalate the dispute.
Witnesses reported that St. Lucie County Sheriff Richard Del Toro Jr. previously testified before Congress about the vulnerabilities in the commercial licensing system. “For the families of those victims, this is not a policy debate. It's a permanent loss,” he stated.
Singh remains in custody without bond while the criminal case continues in St. Lucie County.