DAVIE, FLA. (WSVN) - Three South Florida residents were killed in a crash on Florida’s Turnpike in Fort Pierce involving a minivan and a commercial semi-truck, authorities said.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the crash occurred on Aug. 12 just before 3 p.m. near Mile Marker 171 in St. Lucie County.
A 2015 Chrysler Town & Country carrying five people, including a 30-year-old man from Florida City, a 37-year-old woman from Pompano Beach, and a 54-year-old man from Miami collided with a 2024 International semi-truck after the truck driver attempted an illegal U-turn across northbound lanes.
Those three victims didn’t survive. Two others were not injured.
Video of the crash was captured on dashboard camera inside the tractor trailer. The driver, identified as 28-year-old Harjinder Singh, could be seen behind the wheel as well as a passenger next to him.
Singh, of Stockton, California, was arrested and charged with three counts of vehicular homicide.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told Fox News on Monday night that Singh will face justice in Florida.
“He’s in California. We are working with the federal government to extradite him back to Florida,” said DeSantis.
Longtime trucker Grant Maxey says industry standards need a closer look.
“It’s been a big problem in the last five to eight years. There’s a lot more people that are holding CDL’s that can not speak or read English,” he said.
Troopers said Singh entered the U.S. illegally in 2018 and obtained a commercial driver’s license in California.
In addition to his vehicular homicide charges, Singh also faces immigration violations.
“To have somebody like that on our roadways putting people in jeopardy. Yes, criminally prosecute him, the illegal, 100%, but I think it’s got to go beyond that and I think we need to get tougher on this nationally,” said DeSantis.
The director of Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles said that upon the conclusion of Singh’s state charges, he will be deported. DeSantis agrees.
“He will face incredibly severe charges here and then he will be deported,” said DeSantis.
Singh is federal custody in California though it remains unclear when he will be extradited to Florida.
Highway patrol trooper said they are refraining from identifying the victims. The crash remains under investigation.
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