An undocumented immigrant from India performed a dangerous, illegal U-turn on a Florida highway last week. Tragically, the maneuver killed three people after the truck driver blocked all lanes of traffic with the hulking semi-truck.

Now, however, the trucker’s illegal immigrant status has sparked a debate between the Trump administration and California Governor Gavin Newsom. 

An undocumented truck driver killed 3 people with an illegal U-turn, and his immigration status is debate fuel

Last week, Harjinder Singh, a Sikh immigrant from India, made national headlines after performing an illegal U-turn on a Florida highway. The truck driver used a turnaround zone for official vehicles to attempt the maneuver, tragically crossing into the path of a minivan.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), the minivan was “unable to avoid” slamming into the semi-truck. The minivan wedged itself under the trailer, killing three occupants.

More recently, Singh’s immigration status has stoked a fiery debate between President Donald Trump and California Governor Gavin Newsom. Singh reportedly crossed the border of Mexico into the United States in 2018. He then acquired a commercial driver’s license (CDL) from the state of California.

California is one of 19 states where a driver can get a license regardless of immigration status, per ABC News. However, Governor Newsom responded to flak from the Trump administration by tweeting that Singh entered the country during Trump’s last presidency.

He also added, “Consistent with federal law, it’s California law that you must have a legal presence (i.e., legal immigration status) in the U.S. to obtain a Commercial Driver’s License or Commercial Learner’s Permit.”

The truck made use of a U-turn that was marked for ‘official use only’

The Florida highway where Singh attempted to complete his U-turn was equipped with emergency turnaround areas. But the U-turn areas are clearly marked “official use only.”

For good reason, too. Using a center turnaround requires a driver to pull out of the passing lane, the lane with the highest average travel speeds. A vehicle then has to pull into or through the passing lane on the other side.

It’s a maneuver that could easily result in a driver misjudging the speed of oncoming traffic and causing a crash. As you might imagine, it’s especially dangerous for a semi-truck.

The average semi-truck in the US is around 70 feet long and requires a wide turning circle to complete a U-turn. As a result, Singh was reportedly blocking all lanes of traffic at the time of the disaster, per a questionably worded release from the Department of Homeland Security.