US suspends visa issuance for foreign truck drivers after crash involving Indian

The United States has decided not to issue visas for truck drivers after an accident, attributed to reckless driving by an Indian national, in Florida killed three people. The decision, announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on X, has been made ‘effective immediately.

Indian national Harjinder Singh allegedly took an illegal U-turn while driving a truck on a highway in Florida. This led to a collision and three persons were killed in the accident. Singh was subsequently arrested for driving recklessly, and without regard for the safety of others’.

The probe against Singh revealed he had entered the United States illegally in 2018 and managed to procure a commercial driver's license in California.

FLHSMV expresses anguish over incident

“The actions taken by the Defendant while operating a commercial tractor-trailer are both shocking and criminal. Three people lost their lives as a result of his recklessness, and countless friends and family members will experience the pain of their loss forever. Harjinder Singh is in custody on state vehicular homicide charges and immigration violations. He will no longer be able to damage and destroy the lives of Floridians and visitors. At the conclusion of his state charges, he will be deported. The Florida Highway Patrol remains committed to enforcing both state and federal law to ensure that people that are a danger to others face justice behind bars,” FLHSMV said in a statement.

Singh fails mandatory English test

In the United States, truck drivers must pass a commercial license test that includes a basic English proficiency assessment, such as understanding road signs. However, Singh did not pass this test. He correctly answered only 2 out of 12 questions on the English language proficiency test given by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. According to the Department of Transportation (DOT), Singh was able to recognise just 1 out of 4 highway signs shown to him.