Mast links deadly truck crash to immigration crisis, transportation failures

Harjinder Singh’s deadly wreck on Florida’s Turnpike exposes not just the illegal immigration crisis but systemic negligence – or worse – in transportation-related areas, Florida Rep. Brian Mast told Fox News Digital in a Wednesday interview.

Mast lives only 10 minutes from where Singh made an unlawful U-turn on Florida’s Turnpike and killed three people whose vehicle became wedged under his rig – after he illegally used a median crossover meant for emergency vehicles.

The interview was held as Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins and other officials were in-flight to California to extradite Singh, an illegal immigrant, to face charges for the incident in Mast’s St. Lucie County district.

Mast said Singh’s case undercuts Democrats’ claims that the Trump administration targeted only “violent criminals” rather than immigrants working regular jobs and paying taxes.

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“This is just one example of saying this is why it matters if you’re here illegally you’re going back to your country of origin — whether you’re driving a truck or anything else,” Mast said.

As a member of the House Transportation Committee, Mast said he has heard complaints from municipal officials who run the local DMVs – who tell him the problem of illegal immigrants getting CDLs en-masse is “systemic.”

Illegal immigrants who, at times, may be English-illiterate have been coached to recite specific sentences, identify specific letters on ophthalmologic charts and the like, to essentially get by in their new jobs.

“Now it’s coming out, you know, [Singh] maybe knew, you know one or two things in English that he was supposed to know and didn’t know the rest. They clearly don’t know [what they need to]. Somehow, the school passes them,” he said.

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Singh, who illegally immigrated in 2018 from India, obtained a CDL in California and was initially rejected by the first Trump administration for a work authorization.

The case shows the need for an all-of-the-above approach to enforcing immigration law, said Mast – who previously likened the deluge of illegal immigrants crossing out of Mexico during the Biden administration to the proportion of Allies storming Normandy on D-Day.

Singh’s alleged actions also show the difference between state policies of Florida and California, he said.

“He kills three people – and what is his first decision? To go back to California – this individual, knowing that there’s some serious s—t about to roll downhill his way, says ‘I’m going to be safer and more protected … in California than I am in Florida.”

“And as a result, he ‘deported’ himself to California,” Mast said.

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Another weakness in the transportation and immigration infrastructure was also exposed by Singh’s deadly crash, Mast said.

He ruminated on how many state weigh-stations Singh had to drive through on his way from California to Florida. In that regard, he asked how much focus is put on the individual driver versus the typical criteria of load tonnage and vehicular roadworthiness.

With an adjustment to also focus on the competency of the drivers, weigh stations could play a bigger role in keeping dangerous people like illiterate illegal immigrants off highways, he said.

“It’s the perfect example as to why we need to be dealing with all illegals, whether they’re in the trades or whether they are historic violent offenders. We need to look at; are our highway weigh stations putting as much focus on the individual driving the truck as they are the load on the truck?” 

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Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images)

Florida transportation officials were equally outraged at the situation.

“The actions taken by the Defendant while operating a commercial tractor-trailer are both shocking and criminal,” Florida Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles executive director Dave Kerner said in a statement.

“Three people lost their lives as a result of [Singh’s] 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.”

Kerner said FHP remains committed to enforcing both state and federal laws against those posing a danger to the public.