The illegal immigrant truck driver who is accused of causing a crash in Fort Pierce, Florida that killed three people failed English and road sign tests during the investigation into the wreck, officials said.
Harjinder Singh, who crossed into the United States illegally in 2018 via the southern border, obtained a commercial driver's license in California. He attempted to obtain work authorization, but it was rejected by the first Trump administration on Sept. 14, 2020, according to Tricia McLaughlin, Homeland Security assistant secretary for public affairs.
"During [Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's] interview with the driver, investigators administered an English Language Proficiency (ELP) assessment in accordance with FMCSA guidance," the Department of Transportation said in a statement. "The driver failed the assessment, providing correct responses to just 2 of 12 verbal questions and only accurately identifying 1 of 4 highway traffic signs."
Image provided by United States Marshals Service (USMS) San Francisco shows Harjinder Singh, a 28-year-old illegal alien from India who was arrested on August 16, 2025. Singh allegedly attemptied to make an unauthorized U-turn in Ft. Pierce, Florida on Tuesday, resulting in a crash that killed three people. (United States Marshals Service)
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The DOT indicated that the investigation began on Aug. 14, two days after the crash.
Singh has been charged with three counts of vehicular homicide. He was arrested in Stockton, California on Saturday.
According to the DOT, Singh was issued a regular full-term commercial driver’s license in the state of Washington in July 2023, but that illegal immigrants are not allowed to obtain this type of license.
A year later, Singh was issued a limited-term/non-domiciled commercial driver's license in California. The DOT is investigating further whether the issuance of that license followed federal regulations.
On July 3, the New Mexico State Police pulled Singh over and conducted a roadside inspection of him. He was given a speeding ticket, but not subjected to an English language proficiency test, which was required by law beginning on June 25.
Singh allegedly made a U-turn in an unauthorized area on the Florida Turnpike, causing his truck to jackknife and collide with a minivan. The three occupants of the minivan died in the crash.
The crash sparked a bitter spat between the office of California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and McLaughlin, as Newsom's office tried to wriggle its way out of responsibility for Singh's work permit.
Harjinder Singh, 28, was arrested after allegedly making an unauthorized U-turn in Florida last week that resulted in a crash that left three people dead, officials said. (St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office)
"Hey, genius: the federal government (TRUMP ADMIN) already confirmed that this guy meets federal and state immigration requirements -- YOU issued him a work permit (EAD). As usual, the Trump Administration is either lying or clueless," Newsom's office said in a post on X when criticized by McLaughlin.
"False. Harjinder Singh is in the United States illegally and his work authorization was rejected under the Trump Administration on September 14, 2020," McLaughlin replied. "It was later approved under the Biden Administration June 9, 2021. The state of California issues Commercial Drivers Licenses. There is no national CDL."
A spokesperson for Newsom told Fox News Digital that Singh was reissued a work permit on April 9, and once again blamed Trump.
Left: Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Right: ICE agents (DHS and ICE)
"Why don’t you ask Trump about the driver’s federally issued work permit and when he entered this country?," the spokesperson said in a statement. "Spoiler alert: it was in 2018 under Trump — whoops. He would have been eligible in any state. California followed federal law, something the President knows nothing about."
"In fact, the driver in this case was reissued an Employment Authorization (work permit) on 4/9/2025 and, if my math is correct, that falls within the current presidential term," the statement continued.
Fox News' Louis Casiano contributed to this report.