New Mexico State Police have released body camera footage from a July 3 traffic stop involving truck driver Harjinder Singh. Singh, who is accused of causing a deadly crash in Florida later that month, was pulled over for speeding in New Mexico. The video is being widely shared on social media. The video clearly shows that Harjinder is struggling to speak in English with the officer.
Viral Video
The video shows Singh driving 60 mph in a 45-mph zone. During the stop, Singh appears polite and apologetic as he talks with the state trooper. He accepts the ticket and signs the paperwork. But when he asks a question in broken English, the officer struggles to understand him. Singh seemed to be asking how long the ticket would stay on his license. The trooper later explained it would remain for about five to seven years.
Florida Accident Details
Singh’s poor English skills have become an important issue in this case. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) said Singh failed an English language test after the Florida crash, where three people died when his 18-wheeler jackknifed during an illegal U-turn. According to the DOT, he correctly answered only 2 out of 12 questions and could identify just 1 of 4 traffic signs.
Row Over English
Officials are now questioning how Singh was allowed to drive a commercial truck without proper English skills. Federal rules require that truck drivers understand English well enough to read road signs and communicate with officers. In fact, new enforcement rules introduced on June 25 state that police must check English proficiency during roadside inspections. But Singh was not tested during his July 3 stop in New Mexico.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy had earlier warned, “A driver who can’t understand English will not drive a commercial vehicle in this country. Period.”
As per reports from @OnTheNewsBeat, Separatist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), the outlawed group to which Harjinder Singh belonged to says they met with him today and "he is grieving...there was sorrow and suffering in his eyes, he is doing Sikh prayer for the victims."
Former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal appealed to External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar to take up the case of truck driver Harjinder Singh's case with the government in the United States to ensure his rights, including that to wear a dastar, are protected and he is not persecuted as a murderer.
