Ohio-A fatal crash in Brown County, Ohio, has prompted five members of Congress to seek answers from California Gov. Gavin Newsom about how truck driver Manjit Singh obtained a commercial driver’s license (CDL) in California.The crash occurred on Sept. 2 on U.S. 68 in Pleasant Township. According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol and court records, a tractor-trailer driven by Singh was attempting to pass another northbound vehicle when it collided head-on with a southbound Chevrolet Cruze driven by 50-year-old Brenda Watson of West Union, who died at the scene.
Singh was subsequently arrested and charged with aggravated vehicular homicide, according to Brown County court records. A witness cited in the court documents told investigators that Singh was speeding and appeared to have sufficient time and space to return to the proper lane.
The case has also raised questions about Singh’s immigration status and his California-issued CDL. In a Sept. 21 letter, Reps. Dave Taylor, Warren Davidson, Max Miller, Jim Jordan and Michael Rulli asked Gov. Newsom to explain the circumstances surrounding the issuance of Singh’s commercial license.
Among the questions raised by the lawmakers are whether California’s Department of Motor Vehicles properly verified Singh’s legal presence before issuing the CDL, whether the license remained valid beyond the expiration of his immigration documents, and whether state officials knew about his immigration status.
The lawmakers also asked whether Singh completed the required English-language and road-sign knowledge testing before receiving the commercial license and requested information about the results of those tests.
The congressional letter further asks California to work with the federal government to ensure that future commercial driver’s licenses are issued in accordance with federal requirements. The lawmakers gave the state seven days to respond.
The tragedy has therefore shifted part of the public discussion beyond the Ohio crash itself to the procedures used to issue commercial driver’s licenses, particularly when questions arise about immigration documentation and federal commercial-driving requirements.
The Ohio lawmakers said they are seeking greater transparency for Watson’s family and answers about whether existing CDL verification procedures were properly followed. Their inquiry does not itself establish that California officials violated any law; those questions remain matters for the relevant state and federal authorities to determine.. Referance:fox9.com,landline media,Representative Dave Taylor