Bodycam video shows illegal immigrant truck driver speaking limited English with New Mexico officer

New bodycam footage has been released showing illegal immigrant truck driver Harjinder Singh struggling with limited English after he was pulled over by police for speeding in New Mexico last month – a detail that has since become a major talking point in the case.

The footage shows Singh — the suspect accused of jackknifing his 18-wheeler while making an illegal U-turn in Florida that killed three people — being stopped by a New Mexico State Police officer on July 3 for allegedly driving 60 mph in a 45-mph zone.

During the interaction, Singh appears apologetic as he receives a ticket from the trooper. He initially communicates without issue until after signing paperwork and preparing to leave, when the officer struggles to understand what the trucker is saying. 

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“What’s that,” the trooper says, before Singh speaks again.

“I’m sorry, I guess I don’t understand what you’re saying,” the trooper replies.

“Maybe in this, this my ticket, on my license, how many years,” Singh says to the officer in broken English.

The officer then appears to understand the question and explains to Singh that he thinks the ticket will remain on his license for five to seven years, 

Singh’s limited English has drawn sharp scrutiny since the Department of Transportation (DOT) said he failed an English Language Proficiency (ELP) assessment following the deadly crash in Fort Pierce, Florida. The DOT said that Singh provided the correct responses to just 2 of 12 verbal questions and only accurately identified 1 of 4 highway traffic signs, raising questions as to how and why he was driving a commercial truck in the first place.

Additionally, during the July 3 stop, Singh was not subjected to an English language proficiency test, which the DOT said was required by law beginning on June 25. State police or highway patrol officers are required to carry out such checks during routine roadside inspections.

“A driver who can’t understand English will not drive a commercial vehicle in this country. Period,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in May while announcing the new enforcement guidelines.

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On Tuesday, New Mexico State Police Chief Troy Weisler pushed back on claims by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy that the state was not properly enforcing the new English language requirements.

Weisler said federal officials had mischaracterized New Mexico’s Commercial Driver’s License policy and compliance with the law, noting that while general guidelines were issued on June 25, no standardized testing procedure was provided.

“When State Police sought clarification, the response received was simply, ‘You know when somebody doesn’t speak English,’” Weisler said, adding that New Mexico developed its own compliance process and trained officers to apply it consistently.

Weisler also argued that New Mexico had kept federal regulators informed with updates in late July and mid-August — before the Florida crash occurred.

Regarding Singh’s July 3 stop, Weisler said an ELP test would not have been triggered even if the new rules had already been in effect.

“Both the Federal guidelines and today’s statements by the U.S. Department of Transportation make clear that ELP assessments are only required when there is a challenge in communication,” Weisler said.

“As the video of the traffic stop demonstrates, there were no communication issues between Mr. Singh and the officer. Therefore, there would have been no reason to initiate an ELP assessment.”

Singh, who crossed into the United States illegally in 2018 via the southern border, has been charged with three counts of vehicular homicide and was extradited to Florida to face charges after traveling to California in the aftermath of the crash.

 According to the DOT, Singh was issued a regular full-term commercial driver’s license in the state of Washington in July 2023, but illegal immigrants are not allowed to obtain this type of license. 

A year later, Singh was issued a limited-term/non-domiciled commercial driver’s license in California. The DOT is investigating further whether the issuance of that license followed federal regulations. 

Fox News’ Peter D’Abrosca contributed to this report.