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Harjinder Singh faces three counts of vehicular homicide after allegedly making an illegal U-turn with his tractor-trailer in Fort Pierce, leading to a collision with a minivan
Harjinder Singh | Image: X
A 28-year-old Indian-origin truck driver accused of causing a fatal highway accident in Florida that left three people dead has been denied bail, according to reports.
Harjinder Singh faces three counts of vehicular homicide after allegedly making an illegal U-turn with his tractor-trailer in Fort Pierce on August 12, leading to a collision with a minivan.
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All three occupants of the minivan were killed on the spot, while Singh and a passenger in his truck escaped unhurt.
At a Saturday hearing, St. Lucie County Judge Lauren Sweet ruled that Singh was an “unauthorised alien” and a “substantial flight risk.”
The court found probable cause for all six charges against him, classifying them as forcible felonies under Florida law.
“There are no conditions of release that will ensure your appearance at trial. Therefore, sir, I’m setting your bond on each charge at no bond,” Judge Sweet declared during the proceedings.
Singh attended the hearing virtually from St. Lucie County Jail, assisted by an interpreter.
Singh, who reportedly crossed into the US illegally in 2018, obtained a commercial driver’s license in California. He was arrested last week in Stockton, California, before being extradited to Florida.
The case has triggered a political clash between federal authorities and California’s Democratic administration.
Florida Lt. Governor Jay Collins, a Republican, posted on social media: “He thought he could run. @GovRonDeSantis and I brought him back to face justice.”
Criticism also came from Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, who slammed California’s DMV for granting Singh a commercial license despite his immigration status.
“3 innocent people were killed in Florida because Gavin Newsom’s California DMV issued an illegal alien a Commercial Driver’s License – this state of governance is asinine,” she wrote, adding that such policies put public safety at risk.
The controversy prompted US Senator Marco Rubio to call for tighter controls.
More than a week after the accident, Rubio announced a temporary halt on issuing commercial truck driver work visas, warning that the rise of foreign drivers operating heavy vehicles posed a danger to American motorists and livelihoods.
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