Truck Driver in Fatal Illegal U-Turn Crash Pleads Not Guilty — One of the Loudest Cases Behind FMCSA’s Emergency Order

By SafetyLane Editorial Team

The Plea

On September 29, 2025, 28-year-old Harjinder Singh pleaded not guilty to three counts of vehicular homicide in a Florida court. Singh, who waived his first appearance, did not physically appear before the judge. He remains in custody at the St. Lucie County Jail, where bond has been denied. His next hearing — a pretrial docket call — is scheduled for October 3, 2025.

The Crash That Shocked Florida

The charges stem from a fatal crash on August 12, 2025, when Singh attempted an illegal U-turn in his tractor-trailer on a Florida roadway. The maneuver left his trailer blocking multiple lanes of traffic. A passenger vehicle carrying three well-known reality TV personalities and their companions slammed into the truck.

The outcome was devastating: all three occupants of the smaller vehicle were killed instantly.

Beyond the tragic loss of life, the case drew national attention because Singh’s immigration status and CDL history came under intense scrutiny in the aftermath.

Licenses and Status Under the Microscope

Investigators revealed that Singh:

• Held commercial driver’s licenses in both California and Washington State.

• Had a pending asylum application in the United States.

• Was the subject of an immigration detainer issued by ICE.

Critics argued that Singh’s situation highlighted major gaps in CDL verification systems — raising the question of how an individual with unresolved immigration status was able to obtain multiple state-issued CDLs.

Why This Case Became So Loud

The Singh case rapidly became one of the loudest examples fueling calls for tighter regulation of non-domiciled CDL holders.

Media outlets, policymakers, and safety advocates pointed to the crash as proof that inconsistent licensing practices across states create unacceptable risks on U.S. highways.

While Singh’s case was not the only factor, it became a defining tragedy that contributed directly to mounting pressure on regulators.

FMCSA’s Emergency Order

In the weeks following the crash and Singh’s plea, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued an emergency order in late September 2025. The order mandated:

• Stricter lawful-presence verification for all CDL applicants.

• Increased scrutiny of states with high numbers of non-domiciled CDL holders.

• The possibility of federal audits and enforcement sweeps to uncover fraudulent or unverifiable licenses.

The agency framed the move as necessary to close dangerous gaps in the CDL system and restore public trust in commercial driver oversight.

The Safety Impact

For the trucking industry, the Singh case underscores three urgent lessons:

1. A state CDL alone is not enough. Carriers must take extra steps to verify lawful presence and driver qualifications.

2. Enforcement will intensify. Carriers with non-domiciled drivers should expect more inspections, SAVE verifications, and audits.

3. Public scrutiny shapes policy. High-profile crashes carry reputational risk not just for the drivers and carriers involved but for the industry as a whole.

   
   

The SafetyLane Takeaway

Harjinder Singh’s plea of “not guilty” ensures his case will continue through Florida’s courts. But beyond the trial, the impact is already clear. His illegal U-turn and the three lives lost have made his case one of the loudest drivers behind FMCSA’s emergency order — a tragic reminder that regulatory gaps can have deadly consequences.

For carriers, the message is simple: compliance is no longer just a regulatory checkbox. It is a matter of life, liability, and the future of the trucking industry.