By A deadly highway collision in Florida has set off a political and regulatory reckoning after investigators revealed that the truck driver responsible—an illegal migrant from India—failed even the most basic English and traffic sign tests before obtaining a license in California.
Harjinder Singh, who entered the United States illegally in 2018 via the southern border, faces vehicular homicide charges after allegedly using a restricted “Official Use Only” access point to make an illegal U-turn that blocked lanes and killed three people, according to The Daily Caller. Florida State Troopers, working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, confirmed Singh’s unlawful status and said he had been living in the country for seven years.
According to the Department of Transportation, Singh scored only two correct answers on a 12-question verbal English Language Proficiency test conducted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. He also correctly identified just one out of four highway traffic signs. These failures have raised serious questions about how Singh was able to obtain a Commercial Driver’s License in California.
🇺🇸ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCK DRIVER KILLS 3 IN HORROR CRASH
Harjinder Singh, in the U.S illegally since 2018, casually pulled a tractor-trailer into an “official use only” median on Florida’s Turnpike – blocking every oncoming lane with zero warning.
A black minivan plowed into… pic.twitter.com/rgZS4r3G4r
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) August 18, 2025
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy condemned the circumstances that allowed Singh to operate a commercial vehicle. “If states had followed the rules, this driver would never have been behind the wheel and three precious lives would still be with us,” Duffy said Tuesday. “This crash was a preventable tragedy directly caused by reckless decisions and compounded by despicable failures.”
Duffy further blasted sanctuary policies: “Non-enforcement and radical immigration policies have turned the trucking industry into a lawless frontier, resulting in unqualified foreign drivers improperly acquiring licenses to operate 40-ton vehicles.” He pledged to hold states and individuals accountable, vowing to use every tool available to prevent similar violations.
The Trump administration placed responsibility squarely on California. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated, “Three innocent people were killed in Florida because Gavin Newsom’s California Department of Motor Vehicles issued an illegal alien” the license.
Even as California’s licensing practices face scrutiny and his Los Angeles struggles to rebuild after the wildfires, Governor Gavin Newsom has been engaged in an unrelated, and quite weird, online feud. On August 17, his press office circulated an AI-generated image depicting Kid Rock dressed as Uncle Sam, captioned: “Kid Rock wants you to support Gavin Newsom.” The musician fired back, writing, “The only support Gavin Newscum will ever get out of me is from DEEZ NUTZ.” The exchange—amplified by Newsom’s press team and punctuated by a laughing emoji from Elon Musk—illustrated the governor’s preoccupation with social media spectacle at the very moment his state’s policies are under fire for contributing to the Florida crash.
I HATE KID ROCK !!! — GCN
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) August 19, 2025
Newsom also oddly appears to think the attempted assassination of Donald Trump was staged.
Which Newsom supporter is playing the parody of the man who was killed? https://t.co/GXPnLzncMG
— PoIiMath (@politicalmath) August 19, 2025
Industry voices also joined the outcry. “This is a horrific tragedy that should never have happened,” said American Trucking Associations Chief Operating Officer Dan Horvath. “While an investigation is underway, this driver’s blatant disregard for highway safety and the rules of the road makes clear he should never have been behind the wheel to begin with.” Horvath called on California to explain its licensing decision, noting that Singh’s immigration status makes the oversight particularly alarming.
Preliminary DOT findings suggest Washington State and New Mexico also violated FMCSA regulations, though details have not yet been released. Federal authorities continue to assist Florida investigators in piecing together the full scope of regulatory failures.
President Trump has made English proficiency a centerpiece of his transportation policy, signing an executive order in April to strengthen standards for commercial drivers. Duffy reaffirmed that priority, declaring: “President Trump and I will restore safety to our roads. The families of the deceased deserve justice.”
The Florida tragedy has become more than a criminal case: it is now a flashpoint in the national battles over immigration, highway safety, and state defiance of federal standards—with three lives lost underscoring the stakes.
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