Trump administration labels Sikh driver as 'illegal immigrant' after wrong u-turn kills 3 in US
PTC News Desk: Three people lost their lives on Florida’s Turnpike on Saturday after a semi-truck attempted an illegal U-turn, leading to a devastating crash. The accident also triggered a wave of racist abuse aimed at the Indian-origin driver.
The semi-truck and its trailer jackknifed and landed on top of a black 2015 Chrysler Town & Country minivan, blocking the northbound lanes in St. Lucie County near the 170-mile marker. According to TCPalm News, the truck had tried to make a prohibited U-turn at an "Official Use Only" crossover while travelling in the right lane.
Emergency crews from St. Lucie Fire Rescue rushed to the scene to free victims trapped in the wreckage, but three occupants of the minivan were pronounced dead at the site. The deceased were 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.
Preliminary findings indicate the crash was caused by the Sikh driver of the semi-truck, whose identity has not yet been disclosed. No charges have been filed so far, though officials expect him to face legal scrutiny as the investigation continues.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the collision occurred around 3 pm on Monday, when both vehicles were headed north. The semi-truck, towing a box trailer, attempted to turn across all northbound lanes to access a restricted U-turn, leaving the minivan in the inside lane “unable to avoid” the crash. The van struck the trailer and became wedged underneath it.
The tragedy was compounded by a surge of online hate targeting the truck driver’s Indian background. A video showing him behind the wheel spread across social media, with some accounts, including Team Donald Trump, falsely labelling him an “illegal immigrant.”
- With inputs from agencies
