Millions sign leniency petition for immigrant trucker in Florida fatal crash

It requests that, if convicted, Singh be given a “proportionate and reasonable” sentence with options such as parole eligibility or alternatives to incarceration.

Harjinder Singh / Change.org

A petition calling for leniency toward a 28-year-old illegal immigrant truck driver charged in a crash that killed three people on Florida’s Turnpike has drawn more than 3 million signatures as of Aug. 26.

The change.org petition, addressed to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Board of Executive Clemency, argues that Harjinder Singh’s actions were a tragic mistake rather than a deliberate crime. “This was a tragic accident — not a deliberate act,” the petition states.

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It requests that, if convicted, Singh be given a “proportionate and reasonable” sentence with options such as parole eligibility or alternatives to incarceration.

Singh faces three counts of vehicular homicide and three counts of manslaughter after allegedly attempting an illegal U-turn in a semi-truck on Aug. 12 in Fort Pierce. Authorities said the maneuver caused the trailer to jackknife and collide with a minivan, killing all three occupants.

He was arrested on Aug. 16 in Stockton, Calif., after investigators said he and his passenger fled to Sacramento the day after the crash. Singh was extradited to Florida last week. On Aug. 23, a St. Lucie County judge denied him bond, citing his status as an unauthorized immigrant and a flight risk.

A separate petition on Change.org has also gained traction, demanding deportation of those who signed in support of Singh’s commutation. “Over 500,000 individuals have signed a petition to commute his sentence, showing disregard for justice and the value of these lives,” the counter-petition reads, urging the U.S. government to “send a clear message” on public safety.

Federal officials confirmed Singh entered the U.S. illegally in 2018 and later obtained a commercial driver’s license in California. His application for work authorization was rejected by the Trump administration in 2020, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

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