FORT PIERCE, Fla. (CBS12) — A deadly crash on Florida’s Turnpike that killed three people in St. Lucie County is now at the center of a national debate over commercial truck driver licensing.
On Wednesday, St. Lucie County Sheriff Richard Del Toro traveled to Washington, D.C., to testify before a congressional subcommittee investigating whether gaps in the commercial driver’s license system allowed the driver involved in the crash to legally operate a semi-truck.
On Wednesday, St. Lucie County Sheriff Richard Del Toro traveled to Washington, D.C., to testify before a congressional subcommittee investigating whether gaps in the commercial driver’s license system allowed the driver involved in the crash to legally operate a semi-truck. (WPEC)
“Three innocent people in my county lost their lives in a catastrophic crash on the Florida Turnpike involving a commercial motor vehicle,” Del Toro told lawmakers. “For the families of those victims, this is not a policy debate. It’s a permanent loss.”
The crash that sparked national attention
The crash happened Aug. 12, 2025, when investigators say truck driver Harjinder Singh attempted an illegal U-turn across the northbound lanes of Florida’s Turnpike in St. Lucie County.
A minivan traveling at highway speed slammed into the side of the tractor-trailer.
“It was an illegal U-turn in the middle of our Florida Turnpike — really for no reason,” Del Toro testified. “Three people who were traveling close to 80 miles an hour went underneath the back of that truck and lost their lives.”
All three people inside the minivan were killed.
Troopers say Harjinder Singh attempted an illegal U-turn on Florida’s Turnpike near Fort Pierce on August 12, placing his semi-truck directly in the path of a minivan. The van slammed into the trailer, killing all three passengers. Singh is now charged with three counts of vehicular homicide. (Credit TikTok){ }
Authorities say Singh, an Indian national, entered the United States illegally in 2018 and was issued a notice to appear in immigration court.
According to testimony in the hearing, Singh failed a commercial driver’s license test multiple times in Washington state before eventually obtaining a CDL in California earlier in 2025.
Singh has pleaded not guilty to charges including vehicular homicide and remains jailed in St. Lucie County.
How the CDL system came under scrutiny
The case quickly drew national attention — not just because of the crash itself, but because of questions about how truck drivers are licensed across different states.
“When these standards vary between states, those inconsistencies can create vulnerabilities that place our communities at risk,” Del Toro told the committee.
Commercial trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, he noted, meaning mistakes behind the wheel can have devastating consequences.
“Commercial motor vehicles can weigh up to 80,000 pounds,” Del Toro said. “When operated unsafely, they have the potential to cause devastating consequences in a matter of seconds.”
The hearing comes as federal regulators prepare new rules aimed at tightening how commercial driver’s licenses — particularly “non-domiciled” CDLs issued to non-U.S. residents — are verified and issued nationwide.
What Florida says it has changed
Del Toro told lawmakers Florida has already taken steps to strengthen its system.
According to the sheriff, Florida now verifies immigration status electronically through the Department of Homeland Security’s SAVE system, scans and stores documentation used to verify identity and legal presence, and requires drivers with temporary legal status to apply for licenses in person.
Troopers say Harjinder Singh, 28, cut across the highway using an “Official Use Only” access point near mile marker 171 in Fort Pierce on August 12. His tractor-trailer stretched across all northbound lanes, leaving the minivan with no time to brake.(Credit DHS, St. Lucie Co. Sheriff’s Office)
The state also now marks licenses issued to non-citizens with temporary status and has moved to require CDL testing to be conducted in English.
“The written CDL knowledge test was previously provided in Spanish and English,” Del Toro said. “Florida recently changed its policy so that all driver’s license testing must be taken in English only.”
Florida also paused issuing non-domiciled CDLs in November 2025 until updated federal rules take effect later this month.
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Del Toro said the goal is not to penalize immigrants who are legally in the country, but to ensure drivers operating large commercial vehicles meet strict safety standards.
“This isn’t to hurt anybody that’s here legally in our country,” he told lawmakers. “It’s just a way to vet it out and increase our standards.”
A call for national consistency
Ultimately, the sheriff said the issue should not be political.
“Highway safety is not a partisan issue,” Del Toro said. “It is a public safety responsibility.”