The widow of a man killed by an illegal immigrant says he would still be alive if the truck driver had spoken English.

Scott Miller was killed when a semi-truck driven by Ignacio Cruz-Mendoza lost control on Highway 285 in Colorado’s foothills last year.

The truck’s load, a haul of large steel pipes, collided with several vehicles including 64-year-old Mr Miller, who was crushed to death in June 2024.

On Monday, Donald Trump signed an edict requiring those driving a commercial truck on American roads to be qualified and proficient English speakers.

The order mandates that commercial drivers be able to “read and understand traffic signs” in English and requires the department of transport to test literacy skills.

Federal law requires drivers to read and speak the language sufficiently but inconsistency in testing and lack of enforcement means many commercial drivers do not.

Deann, Miller’s heartbroken wife, said Mr Trump’s executive order would have barred Cruz-Mendoza from getting behind the wheel and in turn, spared her husband’s life.