Supreme Court Declines To Hear FL Case Targeting Undocumented Commercial Drivers

In 2025, three people were killed when a truck driver attempted to make a U-turn on Florida’s Turnpike and collided with a van. The driver was charged with vehicular homicide and manslaughter under state law. However, the state of Florida also attempted to file suit against the states of Washington and California for alleged negligence in giving the driver Commercial Drivers’ Licenses (CDLs) from their states. In May 2026, the Supreme Court denied certiorari, refusing to hear the suit.

Not A Federal Question

The driver who attempted to make the U-turn on Florida’s Turnpike is not an American citizen; he is a Sikh whose first language is Punjabi (spoken primarily in the Indian province of Punjab). In the months following the accident, media and law enforcement focused not on the driver’s alleged crimes, but on the fact that he is undocumented as of this writing. This is the climate in which Florida sought to file suit against the states of Washington and California, alleging that it was negligent to grant the driver a CDL.

The Supreme Court refused to grant certiorari, meaning that it declined to hear the case, excepting Justice Thomas’ and Alito’s dissents arguing that the Court should hear the case simply because it was a lawsuit brought between states. The rest of the court ignored this position, correctly noting that even lawsuits between states may not pose a significant enough question to invoke Supreme Court jurisdiction. However, this does not necessarily touch the merits of Florida’s case.

Penalize Crime, Not Status

The basis of Florida’s lawsuit against the other states was that undocumented people should not be trusted to receive CDLs, and that Washington and California officials must have been negligent simply because the requirements to obtain a CDL are quite rigorous. As of the time of the accident, the driver did not actually possess a valid CDL from Washington State, and the lawsuit allegedly made erroneous assumptions about the content and processes in California’s Department of Motor Vehicles.

Florida alleged that the driver should not have been licensed solely because he was undocumented – but many undocumented people obtain valid employment authorization and can demonstrate English proficiency to a degree where driving a commercial vehicle is perfectly within their capabilities. If the Turnpike driver could not speak or read English, then perhaps he should not have been behind the wheel – but his immigration status and his language abilities are not the same, and only one may imply negligence.

Contact A Tampa Commercial Vehicle Accident Attorney

The driver currently is in jail in Florida, awaiting trial. If he is convicted, he will serve his sentence or possibly be deported, or both – but attempting to show that someone is incompetent or negligent solely due to their immigration status is not in keeping with U.S. law. If you have been charged with a crime or sued after a commercial vehicle accident, you need an experienced attorney to help protect your rights. A Tampa commercial vehicle accident attorney from the Rinaldo Law Group is here to help – call our office today to schedule a consultation.

Source:

nbcmiami.com/news/local/truck-driver-undocumented-arrested-crash-south-florida-killed-turnpike/3678747/