A fatal truck crash in Florida has raised questions about commercial driver’s licensing, illegal immigrants, English language proficiency and more, as details continue to emerge and the federal government has opened an investigation.

The crash has made national headlines, ignited anger and debate inside and outside the trucking industry, and added fuel to the fire between the Trump administration and California.

The August 12 crash happened on the northbound lanes of Florida's Turnpike in Fort Pierce. The truck driver made an illegal U-turn on the turnpike, blocking all lanes. A minivan traveling at speed hit the side of the rig and went under the trailer, killing all three occupants.

The truck driver, Harjinger Singh, an Indian national, reportedly crossed the California border into the U.S. illegally in 2018 and has been in immigration proceedings ever since. Yet despite being in the country illegally, Singh held a California CDL, adding fuel to the ongoing battle between the Trump administration and California.

Singh faces three counts of vehicular homicide and will likely be deported. 

Fatal Truck U-Turn Crash Caught on In-Cab Camera

Video from the truck’s in-cab camera catches the crash through the driver’s side window, and the footage has sparked outrage. Among other things, the video shows virtually no reaction from the driver in response to the crash.

FMCSA Launches Investigation into Fatal Florida Truck Crash

On August 19, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced it had launched an investigation into the crash, focusing on the driver involved in the crash and the motor carrier, White Hawk Carriers Inc. 

FMCSA investigators began an on-site compliance investigation on August 14 at the motor carrier's California premises. Investigators reviewed driver qualification files, obtained in-cab and forward-facing video footage of the crash, and conducted interviews with key personnel including the crash-involved driver, according to FMCSA.

During FMCSA’s interview with the driver, investigators administered an English Language Proficiency (ELP) assessment in accordance with FMCSA guidance. The driver failed the assessment, providing correct responses to just two of 12 verbal questions and only accurately identifying one of four highway traffic signs.

That investigation also found that on July 3, the New Mexico State Police conducted a roadside inspection of the driver and issued a speeding ticket, but there is no indication that an English Language Proficiency assessment was administered. 

The agency only recently changed enforcement guidance on federal English language requirements for commercial drivers. Since 2016, FMCSA guidance had advised that violators of the English language requirements were no longer to be placed out of service. In May, FMCSA reversed that guidance, and as of June 25, drivers failing an English Language Proficiency assessment were to be put out of service.

Truck Driver Commercial Licensing and Training Standards

Despite more than 30 years of the federal government working to tighten up commercial driver licensing and entry-level driver training, there still seem to be too many people driving 18-wheelers who shouldn’t be behind the wheel. 

Rob Carpenter, a truck safety and DOT compliance expert with Trucksafe and Epic Insurance, said on LinkedIn, “Who we put on our highways and how we put them there is our biggest issue.”

Carpenter added, "California’s AB 60 enables undocumented drivers to get a regular DL, and with it, a CDL, even without lawful presence. Yes, undocumented operators can legally drive commercial vehicles yet they often don't have critical real-world training."

Carpenter also raised the question of whether side underride guards could have mitigated the severity of the crash.

American Trucking Associations Chief Operating Officer Dan Horvath said in a statement that “this incident underscores the importance and urgency of the work that the Trump Administration is doing to audit CDL issuances nationwide, in addition to its enhanced enforcement of English language proficiency.

“ATA believes robust entry-level driver training standards are critically important to preventing accidents like this one, but we remain concerned that fraudulent and non-compliant entities continue to fast-track CDL applicants with minimal, if any, training.”