Lt. Gov. Jay Collins and Gov. Ron DeSantis speaking at the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department on Aug. 13, 2025. (Photo by Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix)
Florida’s new second-in-command is headed to California to extradite a man who was driving a semi-truck in Florida and allegedly caused an accident that resulted in three people dead.
Lt. Gov. Jay Collins and Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday that Collins will to to California to “ensure” Harjinder Singh, an immigrant from India without permanent legal status “is extradited back to Florida.”
Garnering national headlines over the weekend, including a dashcam video the White House responded to on social media. Singh is seen attempting a U-Turn on the Florida Turnpike in St. Lucie County in an “official use only” turning lane, blocking traffic. The video shows a minivan with three people inside crashing into the truck.
“Today I’m sending Florida’s new Lt. Gov. Jay Collins to California and tomorrow morning he is going to take possession of this illegal alien, extradite him back to the state of Florida, and we’re going to throw the book at him when he gets back here for what he did, so you can count on that,” DeSantis said during a news conference Wednesday afternoon.
According to DeSantis, once it was determined that Singh could’ve committed a crime, federal authorities “were able to provide pretty much the whole dossier on this guy.”
The information included, DeSantis said, that Singh entered the country in 2018 through the U.S.=Mexico border and applied for work authorization in 2020, was rejected, then accepted in 2021.
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Day in court
The Modesto Bee reported Wednesday that Singh signed extradition papers Tuesday, giving Florida 30 days to take him into custody. Singh had a fugitive warrant and appeared in San Joaquin Superior Court in Stockton, the Bee reported.
“Dressed in an orange jail jumpsuit Tuesday, Singh stood before Judge John Soldati and was assisted by an interpreter. He confirmed he understood his rights, and the judge appointed a public defender to represent him. Singh then signed extradition forms, which Soldati also signed, starting the process for Florida authorities to take custody,” the Bee reported.
According to DeSantis, Singh obtained a commercial driver’s license from the state of Washington, then used that license to obtain a commercial license in California.
Singh “abysmally failed” an English test conducted in the past few days, DeSantis said.
“Not even close, not even broken English, like this guy did not know English and yet somehow he was given a CDL by Washington and a CDL by the state of California, and that should not have happened,” DeSantis said.
The company Singh worked for, White Hawk Carriers, is no longer permitted to operate outside of California after losing its insurance, the Bee reported.
“The company put him in there. Did the company not look to see whether he could speak English?” DeSantis said.
“That’s a huge problem with the company, so we’re looking through that,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis criticized the GOP-majority Congress for not taking action against states with more welcoming immigration policies.
“Why doesn’t Congress use the power of the purse and say, ‘Your funding is contingent upon following federal law with respect to immigration, you can’t be a sanctuary jurisdiction,’” DeSantis said.
Collins is a former Green Beret who suffered a leg amputation in the line of duty and left his spot in the Florida Senate this month to become lieutenant governor.
Attorney General James Uthmeier said Singh will face immigration charges at the conclusion of the vehicular manslaughter charges.
State Rep. Alex Andrade, a Republican who has traded jabs with the DeSantis administration over Hope Florida, criticized the “political stunt” on social media.
.@JayCollinsFL is not a cop, he’s not a lawyer, and Singh has already signed his extradition papers.
This has to be the most expensive police “ride along” a politician has ever done. https://t.co/QFT8xNxL54 pic.twitter.com/lYnlIMiIK1
— Alex Andrade (@RAlexAndradeFL) August 20, 2025
Why are we wasting taxpayer resources on political stunts? Why was this guy allowed to leave Florida in the first place?
Why is a politician acting like a keystone cop after Singh and a California judge already agreed for him to be extradited? https://t.co/PVjH7twO1r https://t.co/c1JpQAQcL5
— Alex Andrade (@RAlexAndradeFL) August 20, 2025
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