More than 2.6 million people have signed a petition urging Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to show leniency towards an illegal migrant truck driver who allegedly killed three people in a horrific highway crash.
Harjinder Singh, a native of India, is accused of causing the fatal crash in Fort Pierce after he made an illegal U–turn in an unauthorized area of the Florida Turnpike back on August 12.
The trailer of his semi–truck collided with a minivan, killing all three people inside the vehicle. Singh and the passenger in his truck were uninjured in the crash.
Singh, 28, was charged with three state counts of vehicular homicide and immigration violations, and on Saturday was denied bond on all charges.
Florida authorities claim Singh entered the US illegally from Mexico in 2018 and later obtained a commercial driver’s license in California.
Despite Singh’s alleged crimes, millions have signed a Change.org petition urging DeSantis and Florida’s clemency board to re-examine his case and, if convicted, issue him a ‘proportionate and reasonable’ sentence.
‘This was a tragic accident — not a deliberate act,’ the online petition states.
‘While accountability matters, the severity of the charges against him does not align with the circumstances of the incident.’
Harjinder Singh (pictured in court on August 19) allegedly killed three people in a horrific highway crash
Singh, a native of India, is accused of causing the fatal crash in Fort Pierce after he made an illegal U–turn in an unauthorized area of the Florida Turnpike. Pictured: the aftermath of the crash
Indian politician Harsimrat Kaur Badal has also joined in the campaign to protect Singh, calling on External Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar to take up Singh’s case with the US government.
The Change.org petition, addressed to DeSantis and the Florida Board of Executive Clemency, makes three specific requests on Singh’s behalf.
If convicted, it requests he receive a ‘firm but fair’ punishment – ‘ensuring justice without being excessively harsh’ – and asks the court to consider the crash was a ‘tragic accident, not an intentional act of harm’.
The petition creators urge the judge to allow for the possibility of parole after a ‘fair portion of the sentence has been served’, which they allege promotes rehabilitation, accountability and second chances.
Third, it asks the judge to consider alternatives to incarceration, such as ‘restorative justice, counseling, or community service’.
‘By granting clemency, you would reaffirm the value of proportional justice, the power of community advocacy, and the potential for rehabilitation,’ the petition, signed by the ‘collective Punjabi youth’, states.
‘We believe this case is not just about one individual – it speaks to the broader principles of fairness and mercy in the justice system.’
Badal also launched an emotional appeal as Singh’s case has gained publicity all across the globe.
More than 2.6 million people have signed a petition urging Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to show leniency towards Singh
Harjinder Singh (right) is seen inside the truck moments before the crash that killed three people
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dispatched Lt. Gov. Jay Collins to California to escort Singh onto an airplane last Thursday
The lawmaker, in a video posted to X, called on Jaishankar to take up Singh’s case and ‘ensure his rights are protected’ including that he can wear a dastar, a traditional turban that symbolizes one’s commitment to the Sikhism faith and culture.
She urged the External Affairs Minister to work to ensure Singh is ‘not persecuted as a murderer’.
‘Harjinder committed a grave mistake which led to a fatal crash but he is not a murderer and should not not treated as such,’ Badal said.
She argued that the ‘more than 150,000 Punjabi truck drivers in the US should not be discriminated against due to Harjinder’s mistake’.
Indian politician Harsimrat Kaur Badal has joined in the campaign to protect Singh
‘Their livelihood should not be snatched from them by denying them work visas and making it more difficult for them to drive trucks by bringing in new language proficiency rules,’ Badal concluded.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the August 12 crash unfolded when Singh made an illegal turn on the highway about 50 miles north of West Palm Beach.
A minivan in the neighboring lane was unable to avoid the truck’s trailer and slammed into it, killing the minivan’s driver and two passengers.
Investigators said Singh and his passenger Harneet Singh fled to Sacramento the day after the deadly crash.
The migrant was arrested in Stockton, California, on August 16 and later extradited to Florida. DeSantis dispatched Lt. Gov. Jay Collins to California to escort Singh onto an airplane last Thursday.
Singh is now being held in the St. Lucie County Jail, Lt. Andrew Bolonka from the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office said.
A Florida judge on Saturday denied Singh’s bond, ruling that he is an unauthorized alien and a ‘substantial flight risk’.
ICE officers and Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins escort Harjinder Singh toward a waiting plane at Stockton Metropolitan Airport for his extradition to Florida
Singh is being held in the St. Lucie County Jail. A Florida judge on Saturday denied bond, ruling that he is an unauthorized alien and a ‘substantial flight risk’
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has also put a hold on him.
The horror crash in St Lucie County has sparked a clash between US Department of Homeland Security and California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said issuing a commercial license to someone in the country illegally is ‘asinine’.
California is one of 19 states, in addition to the District of Columbia, that issues licenses regardless of immigration status. Supporters say it lets people work, visit doctors and travel safely.
Newsom’s press office responded on platform X that Singh obtained a work permit while Donald Trump was president, which McLaughlin has disputed.