US Crash That Killed 3 Sparks Immigration Row After Driver Identified As Indian-Origin Illegal Immigrant
Washington — A tragic road accident on Florida’s Turnpike has taken a political turn after the truck driver involved was identified as an Indian-origin man who had entered the United States illegally.
Three people were killed on Saturday in St. Lucie County when a semi-truck attempted an illegal U-turn at a section of the highway marked “Official Use Only.” The truck jackknifed across the northbound lanes and a 2015 Chrysler Town & Country minivan slammed into the trailer, becoming lodged underneath it.
All three occupants of the van — a 30-year-old man from Florida City, a 37-year-old woman from Pompano Beach, and a 54-year-old man from Miami — died at the scene despite rescue efforts by St. Lucie Fire Rescue.
Authorities have since identified the truck driver as Harjinder Singh, a Sikh man who was arrested in California on Saturday on three counts of vehicular homicide. According to immigration officials, Singh crossed into the US illegally through California in September 2018 and was detained by Border Patrol at the time. He was released in January 2019 on a $5,000 bond after claiming fear of persecution if returned to India. He has remained in immigration proceedings ever since.
Following reports of Singh’s immigration status, members of former President Donald Trump’s campaign team referred to the suspect as an “illegal immigrant,” and faulted current government policies for allowing him to remain in the country.
The crash occurred at about 3 p.m. when Singh’s tractor-trailer — traveling north — moved from the right-hand lane and attempted to cross several northbound lanes to make a U-turn. The approaching minivan in the inner lane was unable to avoid the truck and collided with it. Traffic on the Turnpike came to a standstill for several hours while authorities investigated the crash and cleared the wreckage.
Highway officials have urged motorists to avoid the area and use alternative routes while the investigation continues.
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
