A shocking crash caught on video has left three people dead after a minivan ploughed into a tractor-trailer making a reckless U-turn on the Florida Turnpike last week, authorities said. The truck driver — identified as Harjinder Singh, an illegal migrant — has been charged with three counts of vehicular homicide.
The fatal collision unfolded around 3 pm Tuesday near Fort Pierce, when Singh allegedly attempted to cut across the highway through an “official use only” median pass. His truck’s massive trailer blocked all lanes of oncoming traffic, leaving drivers with no room to stop or swerve.
Footage from inside the cab showed a black minivan speeding toward the trailer, with only seconds to impact. The van smashed into the trailer at full force, wedging underneath in a devastating collision that reduced the vehicle to mangled metal.
Photos from the scene showed the van torn apart, its roof peeled back, and its contents scattered across the highway. Emergency crews used hydraulic jacks to lift the trailer and recover the victims, while Singh was seen standing nearby with a blank expression.
Two passengers in the minivan died instantly, while the driver was pulled alive from the wreck but succumbed to injuries at a local hospital. Authorities identified the victims as a 37-year-old woman from Pompano Beach, a 30-year-old man from Florida City, and a 54-year-old man from Miami, Treasure Coast Newspapers reported.
Investigators said Singh, who carried a California commercial driver’s license, has been in the US illegally since crossing the Mexican border in 2018. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has issued a detainer against him, according to CBS 12. If convicted of homicide, he faces prison time in Florida before deportation.
“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 Dave Kerner to CBS 12, executive director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
Singh remains in custody on state and federal charges.
The fatal collision unfolded around 3 pm Tuesday near Fort Pierce, when Singh allegedly attempted to cut across the highway through an “official use only” median pass. His truck’s massive trailer blocked all lanes of oncoming traffic, leaving drivers with no room to stop or swerve.
Footage from inside the cab showed a black minivan speeding toward the trailer, with only seconds to impact. The van smashed into the trailer at full force, wedging underneath in a devastating collision that reduced the vehicle to mangled metal.
The truck driver who made an illegal U-turn on Florida's Turnpike that led to the passing of 3 Americans, illegally entered the U.S. through the southern border in 2018.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 17, 2025
Harjinder Singh has been charged with three counts of vehicular homic*de.
Singh got his Commercial Driver’s… pic.twitter.com/FGZVHDWMGs
Photos from the scene showed the van torn apart, its roof peeled back, and its contents scattered across the highway. Emergency crews used hydraulic jacks to lift the trailer and recover the victims, while Singh was seen standing nearby with a blank expression.
Two passengers in the minivan died instantly, while the driver was pulled alive from the wreck but succumbed to injuries at a local hospital. Authorities identified the victims as a 37-year-old woman from Pompano Beach, a 30-year-old man from Florida City, and a 54-year-old man from Miami, Treasure Coast Newspapers reported.
Investigators said Singh, who carried a California commercial driver’s license, has been in the US illegally since crossing the Mexican border in 2018. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has issued a detainer against him, according to CBS 12. If convicted of homicide, he faces prison time in Florida before deportation.
“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 Dave Kerner to CBS 12, executive director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
Singh remains in custody on state and federal charges.
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