A commercial truck driver who once held a Washington-issued license has pleaded not guilty in Florida to charges stemming from a highway crash that killed three people, the Associated Press reported.
Harjinder Singh, 28, is accused of making an illegal U-turn on Florida’s Turnpike near Fort Pierce on Aug. 12.
Investigators say a minivan traveling behind his semi-truck was unable to stop in time and collided with the trailer. The driver and two passengers in the van were killed.
Singh and a passenger in his truck were not hurt.
Court records show Singh waived his first court appearance Monday and entered a not guilty plea.
He is being held without bond at the St. Lucie County Jail on three counts of vehicular homicide and immigration violations. Singh is originally from India and lived in California.
He was first issued a commercial driver’s license in Washington before later obtaining one in California.
The crash quickly became part of a larger political debate.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said last week that Singh should never have been licensed because of his immigration status.
Following an audit triggered by the Florida wreck, Duffy said federal officials found serious inconsistencies in how states issue commercial licenses.
According to Duffy, commercial driver’s licenses were wrongly issued in California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas and Washington.
But he singled out California, where Singh’s license was issued, calling the violations “egregious.” He has threatened to withhold $160 million in federal funds from the state.
On Friday, Duffy announced stricter nationwide rules for non-citizens seeking commercial driver’s licenses.
The new policy follows a public dispute between the Trump administration and California Gov. Gavin Newsom in the wake of the Florida crash.
Neither Singh’s defense attorney, Natalie Knight-Tai, nor prosecutor David Dodd responded to requests for comment, according to the Associated Press.
Singh’s next hearing, a pre-trial docket call, is scheduled for Friday in Fort Pierce.
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