Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Wednesday put states that allow non-English-speaking drivers to hold commercial licenses “on notice” following a deadly crash on the Florida Turnpike earlier this month that killed three people.
“If you can’t speak our national language or read our road signs, you are not qualified to drive a truck,” Duffy posted on X, adding that in May, he and President Donald Trump upgraded the penalty for drivers who fail English requirements.
“To any states not following our rules, you are on notice!” Duffy said.
His post came a day after he announced that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) had launched an investigation into the driver involved in the crash and the truck’s owner, White Hawk Carrier.
According to reports, the driver, identified as Indian national Harjinder Singh, made an illegal U-turn on the turnpike near Fort Pierce, blocking all lanes. A minivan then struck the side of the truck and slid underneath its trailer, killing all three occupants.
Singh reportedly entered the United States illegally in 2018 through California. Despite his immigration status, he was able to obtain a California commercial driver’s license (CDL).
When interviewed, Singh failed an English Language Proficiency (ELP) test administered by the FMCSA. He answered only 2 of 12 verbal questions correctly and identified just one of four highway traffic signs.
Investigators also reported that Washington State and New Mexico had violated FMCSA rules. Key findings also included:
- July 15, 2023 – Washington State issued Singh a regular, full-term CDL, which asylum-seekers and those without legal status are not eligible to receive.
- July 23, 2024 – California issued Singh a limited-term, non-domiciled CDL.
- July 3, 2025 – New Mexico State Police conducted a roadside inspection of Singh and issued him a speeding ticket but did not administer an English language assessment.
- New Mexico has not yet begun enforcing ELP as an out-of-service condition despite the requirement taking effect on June 25, 2025.
“If states had followed the rules, this driver would never have been behind the wheel, and three precious lives would still be with us,” Duffy said in Tuesday’s announcement. “This crash was a preventable tragedy directly caused by reckless decisions and compounded by despicable failures.”
He further argued that “radical immigration policies have turned the trucking industry into a lawless frontier, resulting in unqualified foreign drivers improperly acquiring licenses to operate 40-ton vehicles.”
Duffy insisted that he and Trump will restore safety to the nation’s roads, adding that the families of those killed in Florida deserve justice.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
