A truck driver accused of making an illegal U-turn that killed three people on Florida's Turnpike in St. Lucie County was denied bond on Saturday.
Harjinder Singh, a native of India, was charged with three state counts of vehicular homicide and immigration violations, and he was denied bond on all charges. He is being held in the St. Lucie County Jail, Lt. Andrew Bolonka from the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office said.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has put a hold on him. The Florida Highway Patrol, which investigated the crash, said Singh entered the U.S. illegally from Mexico in 2018 and obtained a commercial driver's license in California.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dispatched Lt. Gov. Jay Collins to California to escort Singh onto an airplane Thursday.
READ MORE: Homeland Security faults California policy in deadly semi crash on Florida's Turnpike
The crash sparked a verbal clash between U.S. Department of Homeland Security and California Gov. Gavin Newsom over Singh obtaining a work permit and driver's license in his state.
Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said issuing a commercial license to someone in the country illegally is "asinine."
California is one of 19 states, in addition to the District of Columbia, that issues licenses regardless of immigration status. Supporters say that lets people work, visit doctors and travel safely.
Newsom's press office responded on X that Singh obtained a work permit while Donald Trump was president, which McLaughlin disputed.
On Aug. 12, Singh made a U-turn in an area marked for "official use only" about 50 miles north of West Palm Beach, the highway patrol said. A minivan in the neighboring lane was unable to avoid the truck's trailer and slammed into it, killing the occupants.
A 54-year-old man from Miami and a 37-year-old woman from Pompano Beach died at the scene. A 30-year-old man from Florida City was taken to Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce, where he died.
Singh and a passenger in his truck were not injured.
Copyright 2025 WUSF 89.7
