More than 3 million people have signed an online petition seeking clemency for a Stockton trucker charged with the deaths of three motorists in Florida.
Harjinder Singh, 28, was arrested in Stockton and waived extradition to Florida last week to face three counts of vehicular homicide in connection with a fatal traffic collision earlier this month.
The Singh case has become a flashpoint in the fight against illegal immigration, with U.S. Department of Homeland Security using it as an example to call out California and Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Singh, who is originally from India, was granted a commercial driver’s license in the state. In California, AB 60 driver’s licenses are granted to people who are unable to provide proof of legal residency in the U.S. but who meet the state’s Department of Motor Vehicle requirements, including passing a knowledge-based test and an in-person driving exam.
Singh was driving a tractor-trailer on the turnpike in St. Lucie County, Florida, on Aug. 12 when he attempted a U-turn at a crossing marked “official use only.” A minivan that had been traveling in the same direction as Singh plowed underneath the trailer, killing three people inside.
“This was a tragic accident — not a deliberate act,” the Change.org petition addressed to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis reads. “While accountability matters, the severity of the charges against him does not align with the circumstances of the incident.”
While the petition asks for clemency and the reduction of any possible sentence for Singh, he has not been convicted of any charges. He was denied bond during a court appearance last week. The federal government wants him transferred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody after his criminal case is complete.
Organizers identifying themselves as “Collective Punjabi youth” were seeking 4.5 million signatures. As of Friday, there were more than 3.2 million signers.
A lawyer for a group called Sikhs for Justice said he had met with Singh in jail in Florida.
Gurpatwant Pannun, an attorney who tempered his remarks by saying he does not represent Singh, said at a news conference that the trucker expresses regret for the fatal crash.
“He is also grieving and carrying a heavy mental anguish over what has happened,” said Pannum, as reported by KPBF-TV in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Singh tried to comfort the victims before emergency crews arrived, Pannun said.
Homeland Security previously reported that Singh lacked remorse in the immediate aftermath of the crash, based on a video of him from inside the truck’s cab. It indicated “his face shows no shock or remorse for his actions or the lives he destroyed.”
DeSantis echoed the contention. “It didn’t register to him what had happened, and I’m like, ‘That is really, really cold,’ ” the Florida governor said during a news conference ahead of Singh’s extradition.
Singh’s legal status in the U.S. Has been called into question. Both federal and state officials have referred to him as an illegal immigrant, saying he entered the U.S. illegally from Mexico in 2018. However, reporting by the San Francisco Chronicle indicates Singh had an ongoing asylum case as well as a federal work permit that was obtained during the Trump presidency. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the federal government denied Singh a permit during Trump’s first term in September 2020 and granted him one in June 2021, under President Joe Biden.
A preliminary investigation by the U.S. Department of Transportation found that Washington state issued Singh a regular full-term commercial driver’s license in July 2023, a type of license that people without legal status are not eligible for, according to DOT.
California then issued Singh a limited-term commercial license a year later. Federal vehicle safety officials are investigating whether the issuance of that license complied with government regulations.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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