Harjinder Singh, 28, the driver of a tractor-trailer involved in an Aug. 12 crash that killed three people on Florida’s Turnpike in St. Lucie County, made his first court appearance Saturday and was ordered held without bond.
Singh appeared before Judge Lauren Sweet in the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida, where prosecutors announced additional charges. Singh, initially charged with three counts of vehicular homicide, now faces three additional counts of manslaughter. He remains in custody at the St. Lucie County Jail under an immigration hold issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Judge Sweet also deemed Singh a flight risk.
Authorities say Singh attempted an illegal U-turn across the highway when a van collided with the side of his truck at high speed, killing all three occupants. The Florida Highway Patrol is leading the ongoing investigation.
Singh, a California resident, was extradited from that state after the crash. Officials said he entered the United States illegally through the Mexico border in 2018 and later obtained a commercial driver’s license in California.
The case has gained widespread attention online. A Change.org petition calling for Singh to receive a fair trial has drawn more than 2.7 million signatures.