2.7M people sign petition of support of illegal truck driver after deadly Florida crash
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A petition calling for leniency for an illegal immigrant trucker who killed three people in Florida has received millions of signatures.
Harjinder Singh, 28, is facing three charges of vehicular homicide after he allegedly made an illegal U-turn on the Florida Turnpike while driving a tractor-trailer earlier this month.
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2.7M people sign petition of support of illegal truck driver after deadly Florida crash Back to video
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A change.org petition signed by more than 2.7 million people is urging Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Board of Executive Clemency to show leniency toward Singh and reexamine the case.
The truck driver faces up to 45 years in prison if convicted.
“This was a tragic accident — not a deliberate act. While accountability matters, the severity of the charges against him does not align with the circumstances of the incident,” the petition reads.
“By granting clemency, you would reaffirm the value of proportional justice, the power of community advocacy, and the potential for rehabilitation.”
The U.S. Marshals Service says the Indian native entered the country illegally in 2018.
At the time, he was detained by Border Patrol and released on a $5,000 bond.
His immigration case was still pending at the time of the fatal crash.
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Singh was operating a commercial semi-truck with a trailer on the Florida Turnpike in Fort Pierce, about 110 kilometres north of West Palm Beach, on Aug. 12 when he allegedly attempted a U-turn in an unauthorized area, according to authorities.
A minivan in the next lane was unable to avoid the truck’s trailer and slammed into it, killing a 37-year-old woman from Pompano Beach, a 54-year-old man from Miami, and a 30-year-old driver from Florida City.
Singh was arrested by U.S. Marshals in California and brought back to Florida to face trial.
Most supporters pointed out Singh’s clean record and full cooperation with authorities, arguing that while Singh “made a terrible mistake,” it was “not intentional.”
One noted: “He was working hard to support his family, like so many of us, and one wrong decision changed everything. A 45-year prison sentence is not justice.”
Meanwhile, a counter-petition launched by a “heritage American” truck driver is calling for the deportation of Singh’s supporters, proposing a commutation.
It has garnered more than 27,000 signatures as of Monday.
Singh obtained a commercial driver’s licence in California, the Department of Homeland Security said.
California is one of 19 states, along with the District of Columbia, that issue licenses regardless of immigration status, according to the National Immigration Law Center.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said issuing a commercial license to someone in the U.S. illegally is “asinine.”
Newsom’s press office responded on platform X that Singh obtained a work permit while Donald Trump was president, which McLaughlin disputed.
Since the crash has made headlines, sparking reaction to illegal truck drivers, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the U.S. will pause issuing work visas to some foreign truck drivers.
“The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers,” he wrote on X on Thursday.
Homeland Security described Singh as “a significant threat to public safety” due to the seriousness of the crash and denied him bond.
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