Semi-Truck U-Turn Crash on Florida’s Turnpike Kills Three: Legal Options for Families

On August 12, 2025, tragedy struck on Florida’s Turnpike near the St. Lucie County border when a semi tractor-trailer attempted a U-turn in an “official use only” area, leading to a catastrophic collision with a minivan. According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), three South Florida residents, a 30-year-old man from Florida City, a 37-year-old woman from Pompano Beach, and a 54-year-old man from Miami, lost their lives.

While the official crash investigation is ongoing, the details already released point to a dangerous maneuver by a commercial truck driver that raises serious legal questions about liability, safety regulations, and the rights of grieving families to pursue justice.

The Florida Highway Patrol’s preliminary report states that just before 3:00 p.m. on August 12, both vehicles were traveling northbound on Florida’s Turnpike.

• The semi tractor-trailer, a 2024 International model with a box trailer, was driven by a 25-year-old California man and accompanied by a 28-year-old male passenger. Neither was injured.
• The minivan, a 2015 Chrysler Town & Country, carried three South Florida residents — all of whom tragically lost their lives.

The crash occurred when the semi, traveling in the outside lane, attempted a U-turn into an “official use only” median opening. These access points are typically reserved for law enforcement, emergency vehicles, and authorized maintenance crews, not general commercial truck use.

As the semi crossed all northbound travel lanes to enter the access road, the minivan in the inside lane struck the left side of the trailer, wedging underneath it. Two minivan occupants died at the scene; the driver died later at HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital.

Semi-trucks, especially when loaded, can weigh up to 80,000 pounds under federal law. Attempting a U-turn across multiple lanes is an inherently high-risk maneuver because:

• Wide Turning Radius: Tractor-trailers need far more space to turn, often blocking multiple lanes for several seconds or more.
• Reduced Visibility: Long trailers create significant blind spots, making it difficult for the driver to see approaching vehicles.
• Extended Blocking Time: The size and speed of the maneuver can leave the truck positioned perpendicular to oncoming traffic, a deadly scenario on high-speed roadways like Florida’s Turnpike.
• High-Speed Impact Risk: On the Turnpike, vehicles commonly travel at speeds of 70+ mph. Collisions with the side of a trailer often result in underride accidents, where smaller vehicles slide underneath, causing catastrophic injuries or fatalities.

This devastating crash may give rise to multiple legal claims under Florida law, each addressing different aspects of responsibility and compensation. One of the most significant is a wrongful death claim, which allows certain surviving family members to seek justice for the loss of their loved one. In Florida, wrongful death damages can include both economic and non-economic losses, such as the loss of companionship, guidance, and emotional support the deceased would have provided, and the loss of financial contributions they would have made to the household. Families may also recover funeral and burial expenses, along with any medical costs incurred between the time of injury and death.

The trucking company employing the driver may be liable under the legal doctrine of respondeat superior, which holds employers responsible for the negligent actions of their employees when those actions occur within the scope of their job duties. If the driver was operating the truck in furtherance of the company’s business at the time of the crash, the company can be held financially accountable for the damages caused.

Beyond vicarious liability, trucking companies may also face direct liability for negligent hiring, training, or supervision. Commercial carriers have a duty to ensure their drivers are properly qualified, adequately trained, and consistently monitored for compliance with safety regulations. If the company failed to conduct thorough background checks, ignored prior driving violations, neglected to train drivers on prohibited maneuvers, or failed to discipline unsafe behavior, these lapses could have directly contributed to the crash.

As of March 2023, Florida’s statute of limitations for most negligence-based personal injury and wrongful death claims is two years (Fla. Stat. § 95.11). That means families have two years from the date of death to file a lawsuit.

The sooner an attorney is retained, the faster they can:

• Send preservation letters to the trucking company
• Obtain crash scene photos, surveillance video, and 911 calls
• Interview eyewitnesses before memories fade

At Flanagan & Bodenheimer Injury & Wrongful Death Law Firm, we have extensive experience handling complex trucking accident litigation throughout Florida. Our attorneys understand:

• The federal and state trucking regulations that govern commercial carriers
• How to uncover hidden safety violations and corporate negligence
• The tactics insurance companies use to minimize payouts

We fight to ensure grieving families receive full and fair compensation for their devastating losses, while also holding negligent parties accountable to help prevent future tragedies.

New Information: Driver Identified as Harjinder Singh, Facing Criminal Charges and Deportation

Authorities have now identified the truck driver as Harjinder Singh, a 28-year-old Indian national. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Singh entered the U.S. illegally in 2018 near the California border and was arrested by Border Patrol shortly thereafter. Although he was initially processed for expedited removal, Singh claimed fear of returning to his home country. He was later released on a $5,000 immigration bond and has been in pending immigration proceedings ever since.

Following the crash, Singh was arrested and charged with three counts of vehicular homicide (negligent manslaughter/vehicle). DHS has also placed an immigration detainer on him, and officials have stated that once his state charges are resolved, he will be deported.

Officials further revealed that Singh was driving a commercial semi-truck with a box trailer when he attempted the illegal U-turn across multiple lanes of the Turnpike. His trailer jackknifed during the maneuver, and the victims’ minivan became lodged underneath the truck in a deadly underride collision.

Singh now faces serious criminal consequences for his role in the fatal crash, including potential prison time. However, his criminal charges are only part of the picture. The families of the three victims still have the right to pursue civil wrongful death claims against Singh, the trucking company, and potentially other responsible entities.

The trucking company that employed Singh may also face liability. Even if Singh himself acted recklessly, companies are generally responsible for the conduct of their drivers under the doctrine of respondeat superior, so long as the driver was acting within the scope of his employment. Additionally, if the company failed to vet Singh’s qualifications, ignored red flags in his record, or inadequately trained him, the families could pursue claims for negligent hiring, training, and supervision.

The fact that Singh was in the United States unlawfully raises further questions about employer oversight. Trucking companies have a duty to comply with federal employment verification laws, including I-9 verification requirements, when hiring drivers. If the company failed to properly verify Singh’s work authorization or ignored discrepancies, it could be subject to significant liability.

Moreover, Singh reportedly held a commercial driver’s license (CDL) issued in California, a detail that has already sparked political criticism. Families may argue that the company should have been aware of his immigration status and should not have allowed him to operate a commercial vehicle on Florida’s roads.

How Did Singh Get a Commercial License?

According to the California Commercial Driver’s Handbook, applicants seeking a commercial learner’s permit (a prerequisite for obtaining a CDL) must provide documentation proving lawful presence in the U.S. Acceptable proof typically includes immigration documents, lease agreements, mortgage statements, or utility bills establishing residency.

Yet Singh, who entered the U.S. illegally through California in 2018 and was arrested by Border Patrol just two days later, somehow managed to obtain a California-issued commercial driver’s license. This raises pressing questions about whether fraudulent documentation was used, whether administrative oversight occurred, or whether federal and state agencies failed to properly communicate during the vetting process.

The political fallout has already begun. California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s press office stated that Singh had been issued a federal employment authorization document, allowing him to work legally in the U.S. However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) quickly disputed that, clarifying that Singh’s work authorization request was denied in 2020 under the Trump administration and later approved in June 2021 under the Biden administration.

That approval, DHS officials say, may have played a role in Singh’s ability to maintain or obtain a CDL. But the circumstances remain murky, as state and federal officials continue to trade blame over how Singh remained eligible to drive commercially while in pending immigration proceedings.

For the families of the victims, these revelations go beyond political debates, they raise critical legal questions. If Singh obtained or retained a CDL without proper legal status, plaintiffs could argue that both his employer and possibly state agencies failed in their duties of oversight.

Key questions include:

• Did the trucking company properly verify Singh’s immigration and employment authorization documents?
• Was Singh’s CDL issued or renewed based on inaccurate or incomplete information?
• Could Singh’s lack of lawful status have made him ineligible under federal FMCSA regulations, which set strict standards for commercial drivers?

If negligence is shown on the part of the employer or government oversight systems, these factors could strengthen the wrongful death claims of the victims’ families.

Despite being charged with three counts of vehicular homicide, Singh is not currently listed in St. Lucie County jail records, nor does his case appear in state or federal prisoner databases as of Monday morning. Federal officials have confirmed that an immigration detainer has been issued, meaning Singh faces deportation after the conclusion of his state criminal proceedings.