FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Harjinder Singh, the truck driver involved in the fatal Florida Turnpike crash that claimed three lives, has pleaded not guilty without appearing in court. His plea was entered on September 29th in St. Lucie County, Florida.

According to AP News, Singh is facing three counts of vehicular homicide and immigration violations following the August 12th crash near Fort Pierce. Singh, a 28-year-old native of India, is currently being held at the St. Lucie County Jail without bond. He waived his first appearance hearing.

The crash occurred when Singh attempted an illegal U-turn on Florida’s Turnpike. A minivan traveling behind his semi-truck crashed into the trailer, killing the driver and two passengers. Singh and his own passenger were uninjured.

Singh had a pending asylum application at the time of the crash and had previously been issued CDLs in both Washington state and California. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Singh’s immigration status should have disqualified him from obtaining a commercial driver’s license in any state.

The incident has since triggered a national policy change, with the Transportation Department enacting stricter rules limiting CDL eligibility for non-citizens. An audit revealed widespread issues with improperly issued licenses in California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, and Washington. Duffy threatened to revoke $160 million in federal funding from California alone due to the violations.

Singh is scheduled for a pre-trial docket call on October 3rd in Fort Pierce. His defense attorney and the prosecutor have not yet issued public comments on the case.