Related videos:
An illegal U-turn made by an undocumented truck driver on the Florida toll highway ended in tragedy on August 12, when a minivan became lodged under the semitrailer, resulting in the deaths of three people.
The driver, identified as Harjinder Singh, 28 years old, was arrested and is facing three counts of vehicular homicide, as confirmed by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) in an official statement released this Saturday.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Singh was driving a truck through St. Lucie County when he attempted to turn in a designated turnaround area marked as "official use only". The illegal maneuver blocked the path of a Chrysler minivan traveling in the left lane, and the driver was unable to stop in time.
The victims were identified as a 30-year-old man from Florida City, who was driving the vehicle; a 37-year-old woman from Pompano Beach; and a 54-year-old man from Miami, both passengers. Two died at the scene and the driver passed away shortly after at a nearby hospital.
The crash forced the closure of all northbound lanes for several hours while rescue teams removed the trapped victims and cleared the debris.
Authorities confirmed that Singh had illegally entered the United States in 2018 by crossing the border with Mexico. Despite this, he obtained a commercial driver's license in California, which he used to operate the truck in Florida.
The truck driver was detained with the collaboration of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which issued a hold notification to keep him in custody for immigration violations.
The executive director of FLHSMV, Dave Kerner, described the incident as a criminal act that leaves an indelible mark of pain.
“Three people lost their lives as a result of his recklessness, and countless friends and family members will forever suffer the pain of their loss,” he stated.
Kerner added that Singh “will no longer be able to harm or destroy the lives of Floridians and visitors,” as he is now in state and federal custody.
The case, reported by local media such as Fox 29 and WFLA, has reopened the debate about the risks posed by drivers without legal status in the United States and the failures in the controls for issuing commercial licenses.
Another case but with a Cuban accent
This accident is reminiscent of the one that occurred last June in Texas, where a Cuban, Alexis Osmani González Companioni, a former leader of the FEU and the Unión de Jóvenes Comunistas (UJC) in Villa Clara, caused a chain collision on Interstate 20 that resulted in five deaths and several injuries.
González Companioni, 27 years old, is said to have fallen asleep at the wheel of an 18-wheel trailer and was charged with five counts of involuntary manslaughter and multiple counts of aggravated assault. Among the victims was nearly an entire family, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
In both cases, the reckless driving of a cargo truck resulted in irreparable losses and profound grief for the affected families, reigniting the discussion on road safety, responsibility, and the situation of migrants in the United States.
Filed under: