Florida truck crash prompts federal CDL vetting review and visa pause

A deadly crash on Florida’s Turnpike near Fort Pierce has intensified nationwide scrutiny over who is allowed to drive large commercial trucks in the United States. The driver, Harjinder Singh, an Indian national who entered the country illegally in 2018, was extradited back to Florida after fleeing to California following the crash, which killed three people in a minivan. Investigators say Singh obtained a commercial driver’s license in California and later held a Washington license as well, despite not being eligible under federal rules. The case has prompted a federal review of how drivers are vetted and licensed and has coincided with a sudden pause in issuing worker visas for commercial truck drivers, a measure announced at the national level to address safety concerns amid ongoing labor shortages in the industry.

The incident unfolded when Singh allegedly attempted an illegal U-turn through an Official Use Only section of the Turnpike, causing his tractor-trailer to jackknife and strike a nearby minivan. All three occupants of the minivan died. Singh, who was not a Florida resident, was charged with multiple counts of vehicular homicide and immigration violations....