More than 2.4 million people have signed a Change.org petition calling for leniency for Harjinder Singh, a 28-year-old Indian national who faces up to 45 years in prison after a fatal crash in Florida earlier this month.
Authorities say Singh, who entered the U.S. illegally in 2018, was driving a tractor-trailer on the Florida Turnpike on Aug. 12 when he allegedly attempted an illegal U-turn.
The maneuver caused a crash that killed three people. Singh fled the scene and was later arrested in California by U.S. Marshals before being extradited back to Florida.
Prosecutors charged Singh with three counts of vehicular homicide, each carrying a possible 15-year sentence under Florida law.
The Petition
The Change.org petition, launched under the name Collective Punjabi Youth, argues that Singh’s actions were the result of a tragic mistake rather than malicious intent.
“This was a tragic accident — not a deliberate act. While accountability matters, the severity of the charges against him does not align with the circumstances of the incident,” the petition reads.
Many signatories identified themselves as Indian nationals or members of the Punjabi diaspora.
“He made a terrible mistake, not a deliberate choice to harm anyone. He was working hard to support his family,” wrote one supporter from Sydney, Australia.
“45 yrs of imprisonment?? Is it fair for a young boy who left his home country to have [a] bright future, support family???” wrote another supporter from Ontario, Canada.
Singh’s family in Punjab, India, also called for mercy. His relative Dilbagh Singh told the Times of India:
“His age is 28 years, and if he gets 45 years of jail, then you can imagine what will be the condition of his family.”
Political Fallout
The case has drawn political attention both in the U.S. and abroad.
In response to the crash, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a freeze on commercial truck driver visas, arguing that foreign drivers were “endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers.”
That move drew criticism in India. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, a member of parliament with the Punjabi-nationalist Shiromani Akali Dal party, warned the policy could unfairly target Sikh and Punjabi drivers:
“Punjabi and Sikh drivers make up 20% of the United States’ trucking industry. Any mass-level action against them would have a detrimental effect on trucking families and would be discriminatory.”
Immigration Background
Singh entered the U.S. illegally in 2018 after mortgaging family land in India. He was detained by Border Patrol and released on a $5,000 bond while his immigration case was pending.
Singh told an immigration judge he feared violence if returned to India and was granted leave to stay and work while his case moved through the courts.
Following the crash, the Department of Homeland Security described Singh as “a significant threat to public safety” and has denied him bond while awaiting trial.
