Truck driver accused in deadly Turnpike crash appears virtually; defense makes new demands
ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — Harjinder Singh, the semi-truck driver charged in a crash that killed three people on Florida’s Turnpike, appeared virtually before a St. Lucie County judge Thursday morning for a routine docket call, as his attorneys outlined the next steps in the case.
Singh, who remains held without bond at the St. Lucie County Jail, logged into the hearing via Zoom along with a Punjabi interpreter.
There was a brief back-and-forth in the courtroom over whether Singh should appear at all — since defendants are not typically brought in for docket calls — but the judge ultimately allowed the virtual appearance.
The court granted a continuance, keeping the case on track for its next docket call on January 15, 2026.
Defense attorney: “This is his life we wanted him to be present”
Lead attorney Natalie Knight-Tai, admitted to practice in Florida and New York, told CBS12 News reporter Katie Bente that she asked for Singh to be present because of the seriousness of the case.
“I wanted him to be a part of the process, because this is about him,” Knight-Tai said. “This is his life. He is the accused, and we want to put forth his due-process rights to be present and to understand and to see what’s going on.”
Knight-Tai said “a lot of investigations” remain ongoing and that both sides still have discovery to exchange.
Co-counsel Tejinder Bains, who is expected to be admitted pro hac vice next week, told CBS12 News their role is to ensure Singh receives the constitutional protections afforded to all defendants.
“We’re here just to give a vigorous defense for our client,” Bains said. “That’s the American system — a vigorous prosecution and a vigorous defense, and then you get to the truth. And that’s what we’re looking for — just fundamental fairness.”
Defense seeks independent testing of blood samples, inspection of vehicles
During the hearing, Singh’s attorneys asked the court to release victims’ blood samples for independent analysis by their experts.
They also asked that the vehicles involved in the crash, which the state planned to release to storage, be held temporarily until those experts can perform their inspection.
Knight-Tai said they expect those inspections to be completed before the end of the year.
The judge directed that request to the Florida Highway Patrol for review.
Sikh civil-rights advocates: “One case should never be used to stigmatize a community”
Outside the courthouse, Bhupinder Kaur, Director of Operations for UNITED SIKHS, said the case has heightened fear among Sikh truck drivers nationwide.
“We are deeply concerned about the rise in discrimination and bias Sikh drivers are facing as a result of this incident,” Kaur said. “One case should never be used to stigmatize an entire community.”
Kaur said the organization is working closely with attorneys in Florida.
“Our focus is on justice, due process, and protecting the civil liberties of our community,” she said.
Defense pushes back against political pressure
Bains said he joined the defense after seeing that Singh was being discussed publicly in ways he felt went beyond the facts of the crash.
“I didn’t have any intention of volunteering my services,” Bains said. “But when I saw that he was being targeted — not only for the alleged incident, because these things do happen over the years — but he was being targeted because of who he was. That’s why we got involved. We want to take that out of the equation to make sure there’s a fair playing field.”
See also: Florida reimburses over $2 million to local sheriffs for immigration enforcement efforts
Knight-Tai also acknowledged the national attention on the case.
“This case has made national headlines — and for not necessarily good reasons,” she said. “A tragedy, and then another tragedy, doesn’t make the first one better. Fairness is the American way it should be uniform among all people, regardless of their color, their origin, their religion.”
Background
Singh, 28, is charged with three counts of vehicular homicide and three counts of manslaughter.
Florida Highway Patrol investigators say that on August 12, 2025, he attempted an illegal U-turn across the northbound lanes of the Turnpike near Fort Pierce. A minivan traveling behind his truck crashed into the trailer, killing all three people inside.
Singh and a passenger in his semi-truck were not injured.
The case drew national attention after state and federal officials alleged Singh entered the U.S. illegally and obtained commercial driver’s licenses in Washington and California despite lacking legal status. Sikh advocacy groups have pushed back on political commentary surrounding the crash.
What’s next
The case now moves into the next phase of discovery. Defense experts plan to inspect the vehicles before the end of the year, and the court will review their request for independent testing of the victims’ blood samples.
A new judge will be taking over the case in the coming months.
The next docket call is set for January 15, 2026, where the court will check on the progress of those outstanding issues.
Singh remains in the St. Lucie County Jail without bond.
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