California CDL driver charged in Florida Turnpike triple-fatal crash

A driver who had entered the United States illegally and held a California commercial driver’s license is charged with three counts of vehicular homicide after a Florida Turnpike crash near Fort Pierce killed three people when he attempted an unauthorized U-turn, authorities said. Harjinder Singh, 28, remains in custody on state charges and immigration violations, with an immigration detainer in place as federal authorities pursue deportation after the case is resolved.

The crash occurred around 3 p.m. on the Turnpike in St. Lucie County, when Singh’s semi-truck with a trailer allegedly swung into an “official use only” median passage and blocked the northbound lanes. A minivan traveling behind could not stop in time and collided with the trailer, becoming wedged beneath the truck. Three occupants of the minivan were killed: a 37-year-old woman from Pompano Beach, a 30-year-old man from Florida City, and a 54-year-old man from Miami. The driver of the minivan survived his injuries but later died at a hospital. Video from inside the truck’s cab captured the moment the U-turn occurred and the collision followed.

Officials described the sequence as avoidable and reckless. Florida...