Mon Aug 18 13:13:58 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

A semi-truck driver, Harjinder Singh, attempting an illegal U-turn on Florida’s Turnpike in St. Lucie County caused a collision that killed three people in a minivan. The truck jackknifed and landed on top of the Chrysler Town & Country. Singh was arrested in California on vehicular homicide charges. He had previously been released on an immigration bond after illegally crossing the border in 2018 and claiming fear of returning to India. The crash shut down all northbound lanes of the Turnpike for hours.

**News Article:**

**Illegal U-Turn Leads to Triple Fatality on Florida’s Turnpike**

**St. Lucie County, FL** – A tragic accident on Florida’s Turnpike Saturday afternoon claimed the lives of three people after a semi-truck attempted an illegal U-turn, resulting in a devastating collision. The incident occurred in St. Lucie County, near the 170-mile marker, and involved a semi-truck and trailer that jackknifed, landing on top of a 2015 Chrysler Town & Country passenger van.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the semi-truck was in the right lane of the northbound Turnpike when the driver attempted an illegal U-turn at an “Official Use Only” access road. The minivan, traveling in the inside lane, was unable to avoid the truck as it crossed all northbound lanes. The minivan crashed into the trailer and became lodged beneath it.

St. Lucie Fire Rescue responded to the scene and worked to extricate the victims, but three occupants of the minivan were pronounced dead at the scene. They have been identified as a 30-year-old man from Florida City, a 37-year-old woman from Pompano Beach, and a 54-year-old man from Miami.

The driver of the semi-truck, identified as Harjinder Singh, has been arrested by US Marshals in California on a warrant for three counts of vehicular homicide. Authorities say Singh crossed the California border illegally in September 2018 and was later released on a $5,000 immigration bond in January 2019 after claiming fear of returning to India. He has been in immigration proceedings since.

The accident, which occurred around 3 PM, forced the complete shutdown of all northbound lanes of the Turnpike for several hours. The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office advised drivers to seek alternate routes and expect significant delays. The investigation into the crash is ongoing.

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