Florida Lt. Gov. extradites undocumented immigrant accused in crash that killed 3

Florida Lt. Gov. extradites illegal U-turn crash driver

Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins hosted a press conference on Thursday afternoon at the Stockton Metropolitan Airport in California, where he took custody of Harjinder Singh, the driver accused of making an illegal U-turn on the Florida Turnpike near Fort Pierce, triggering a collision that killed three South Florida residents. Collins walked Singh to the plane, where they are expected to return to Florida.

ORLANDO, Fla. - On Thursday, Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins took custody of Harjinder Singh, the driver accused of making an illegal U-turn on the Florida Turnpike near Fort Pierce, triggering a collision that killed three South Florida residents. 

Accused driver extradited to Florida

What we know:

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday that Collins was traveling to California to extradite Singh.

Collins touched down in California on Thursday, vowing to personally escort Singh back to the Sunshine State to face charges in a deadly crash that killed three Floridians. Investigators said Singh attempted an illegal U-turn in St. Lucie County on Aug. 12, causing his semi-truck to jackknife into a minivan. Singh, arrested in Stockton, California, on Saturday, faces three counts of vehicular homicide.

At a news conference hosted by Collins on Thursday afternoon, he said he had to call out what he called "failed policies" that allowed the crash to happen. Collins blamed California Gov. Gavin Newsom for creating a "sanctuary state" that allowed Singh to obtain a license despite failing basic competency tests.

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3 killed on Florida Turnpike after semi makes illegal U-Turn: FHP

Three people ? two men and a woman ? were killed in Florida after a semi-truck driver hauling a trailer made an illegal U-Turn on the Florida Turnpike, locked all lanes, and collided with a minivan, according to an investigation by officials.

What we don't know:

It remains unclear how Singh was able to obtain commercial driving licenses in two states despite being in the country illegally. Federal authorities are also reviewing whether California followed proper procedures when issuing him a limited-term license. 

Investigators have not yet released details about the trucking company that employed him or what safeguards may have failed.

'How many more lives have to be lost?'

What they're saying:

Collins placed the blame of the crash on failed border policies. 

"We are here today because of a tragedy," Collins said. "Three Floridians' lives ended early. … He didn't have basic English proficiency, he didn't know the road signs, yet he is driving a giant vehicle across our state. … We're going to make sure this thug is brought to justice. … How many more lives have to be lost?"

The backstory:

According to records, Singh crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally before securing a commercial driver’s license in Washington state in July 2023. Federal law prohibits undocumented immigrants from receiving full-term licenses, yet Singh was approved. 

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A year later, he was granted a limited-term, non-domiciled license in California. 

On July 3, Singh was stopped in New Mexico for speeding during a roadside inspection but was not given a federally required English proficiency test that had taken effect days earlier.