Who Is Harjinder Singh? Illegal Immigrant Who Killed 3 in Florida Was Nearly Deported but Stayed Back After Saying He Was Afraid to Return to India

The illegal immigrant who allegedly killed three while making an illegal U-turn on a Florida highway has been identified as an Indian national, who was previously processed for deportation proceedings but was allowed to remain in the U.S. after claiming he was afraid of returning to India.

Harjinder Singh entered California through the southern border in September 2018 and was initially placed in expedited deportation proceedings under the Trump administration, police sources told The New York Post. However, after telling U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that he feared returning to India, Singh was released on a $5,000 immigration bond in January 2019 and has remained in immigration proceedings ever since.

Strange Reason for Staying Back

Singh later got a Commercial Driver’s License in California, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) said on Saturday. Singh was arrested on Saturday by U.S. Marshals in California on a warrant charging him with three counts of vehicular homicide linked to a fatal crash in Florida around 3 p.m. last Thursday.

Authorities said Singh was driving a tractor-trailer on the Florida Turnpike near Fort Pierce when he made a sharp left turn and tried to cross the median using an “Official Use Only” access point.

The trailer blocked every lane of oncoming traffic, leading a minivan to crash into it at full speed, becoming trapped underneath, Treasure Coast Newspapers reported. The collision killed a 37-year-old woman from Pompano Beach, a 30-year-old man from Florida City, and a 54-year-old man from Miami.

The two passengers were pronounced dead at the scene, while the driver was taken to a nearby hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Neither Singh nor the passenger riding with him in the semi-truck were hurt in the crash, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

Completely Unmoved

Inside the semi’s cab, Singh showed no reaction to the devastating scene. He gazed out the window as the minivan sped toward the trailer, and even after the violent impact jolted his truck, his expression stayed the same as he quietly shifted into park and shut off the engine.

More video taken from alongside the truck after the crash — as rescue teams used jacks to raise the trailer off the van and recover the victims’ bodies — showed Singh standing nearby, arms at his sides, expressionless as he watched the scene.

Singh now faces three counts of vehicular homicide and remains in custody in Florida.

If convicted of homicide, Singh is expected to serve his prison term in Florida before being deported.

“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,” said the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ executive director, Dave Kerner.

“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,” he added, according to CBS 12.