Victor Davis Hanson: California Gives Illegal Truck Driver a License—3 Americans Pay the Price

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Aug 21, 2025

A tragic accident on the Florida Turnpike raises alarming questions about California's driver’s license policies for illegal immigrants. An undocumented truck driver, issued a license despite language barriers, caused a crash that killed three people. Victor Davis Hanson discusses the state's refusal to enforce immigration laws and the apparent lack of remorse from authorities. He warns that California's dangerous trucking conditions and lax regulations threaten public safety, creating chaos that spills beyond state lines.

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ANECDOTE

Fatal U-Turn By Licensed Driver

Victor Davis Hanson recounts Harjinder Singh, an illegal entrant who was later issued a California driver's license despite limited English skills.
Singh's U-turn on the Florida Turnpike resulted in three deaths and highlighted cross-state consequences of California policies.

INSIGHT

Infrastructure Strains Drive Riskier Roads

Hanson observes California's infrastructure lags behind its population, worsening freeway safety and congestion.
He links overcrowded, outdated roads and heavy truck presence to more dangerous driving conditions statewide.

ANECDOTE

Trucks Dominating Freeway Lanes

Hanson describes truck patterns on California freeways where trucks occupy middle lanes and dominate multiple lanes for long stretches.
He says this new generation of truck drivers lacks past courtesies, making driving feel like 'Road Warrior' or 'Mad Max.'

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Recently, an illegal alien pulled an illegal U-turn on the Florida Turnpike, resulting in a crash that killed three innocent people. The man, identified as Harjinder Singh, was issued a driver’s license by the state of California despite failing basic questions on his driver’s test.

Victor Davis Hanson explains how California’s refusal to enforce immigration law and its dangerous trucking conditions create chaos on the roads—and why these failures don’t stay contained within the state’s borders—on today’s episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words.”

“ What was very disturbing was the expression on Mr. Singh's face. It was calm. He looked around. It was almost as if, ‘Oh. I made a U-turn. Somebody hit my truck. I wonder what happened?’ He didn't get out and try to help anybody. He stood at the side of the road, finally. But why was he driving? He was driving because California issued him a license when they knew he was an unlawful resident of the United States and he was not proficient in English, at least enough to be able to read rudimentary traffic signs and signals. In other words, he killed three people.

“This man was not a U.S. citizen. He was not here legally, and he could not read or write English, apparently. And the wages of that, we found out in Florida, were the death of three innocent people. And no remorse. No apologies on the part of California or Gavin Newsom. Bottom line: California is dangerous to itself, in a myriad of ways, but it's also dangerous to everybody outside of California because its pathologies are not contained within its borders.”

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(0:00) Tragic Incident Involving Illegal Alien 

(1:01) California's Infrastructure Issues 

(2:22) Revisiting the Incident

(5:10) Broader Impact of California's Policies 

(6:36) Conclusion

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