STOCKTON, Calif. — A semitruck driver accused of making an illegal U-turn on Florida’s Turnpike and causing a crash that killed three people from South Florida appeared in court Tuesday in California.
According to WKMG in Orlando, Harjinder Singh was arrested in California, where he appeared in court. Investigators said Singh flew into California last week, one day after the wreck occurred in St. Lucie County.
According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, a minivan crashed into the semitruck on Aug. 12 as Singh attempted the illegal U-turn. Three people in the minivan were killed.
According to WPTV-TV in West Palm Beach, the passengers were a 37-year-old woman from Pompano Beach, a 54-year-old man from Miami and the driver was a 30-year-old man from Florida City.
Florida troopers, with the assistance of ICE, determined that Singh had entered the U.S. illegally after crossing the Mexico border in 2018. He then obtained a commercial driver’s license in California.
In St. Cloud on Tuesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said that should have never happened.
“California, they do it differently. They invite people to come illegally. They provide benefits. They provide a lot of different things. I mean, honestly, some of them get treated better than blue-collar Americans,” he said.
Prosecutors in Florida want Singh extradited to face charges.
After Singh’s arrest, FDHSMV Executive Director Dave Kerner said, in part, in a statement, “Harjinder Singh is in custody on state vehicular homicide charges and immigration violations ... At the conclusion of his state charges, he will be deported.”
During Tuesday’s hearing, Singh said he was willing to sign the extradition papers to go to Florida.
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