A fatal crash on Florida’s Turnpike claimed the lives of three people after a semi-truck driver made an illegal U-turn at an “Official Use Only” area.
The victims, a 30-year-old man driving the minivan, along with his two passengers, a 37-year-old woman and a 54-year-old man, died at the scene.
The semi-truck driver, reportedly Punjabi, has become the focus as the video of him driving went viral on social media.
(1) UPDATE: These are the alleged semi-truck drivers who k*lled three people while making a U-turn at an “Official Use Only” turn on the Florida Turnpike
— Unlimited L's (@unlimited_ls) August 15, 2025
The Florida Highway Patrol is describing the wreck as a homicide investigation pic.twitter.com/QqYhuidXoD
Local media reports indicate that the semi-truck, travelling in the outside lane, crossed all northbound lanes before attempting the illegal U-turn.
The minivan, which was in the inside lane, had no time to react and collided with the large vehicle. The impact was so severe that the minivan was wedged underneath the truck, trapping the driver and passengers inside.
WPTV reports that the crash led to a temporary shutdown of all northbound lanes for several hours, causing significant traffic backups and delays. Tyre marks at the scene suggest the semi-driver attempted the illegal manoeuvre during the busy afternoon hours.
The Florida Highway Patrol has launched a homicide investigation into the incident. Authorities are focusing on the actions of the semi-truck driver. No further information has been released.
Carlos Portela, a licensed truck driver with 25 years of experience and a manager at Centerport Inc., spoke out about the incident. “When you hold a commercial license, you’re expected to be a professional driver, and this was a clear violation,” Portela told WPTV.
He added that the “Official Use Only” turn is reserved for emergency vehicles, such as those operated by the Florida Highway Patrol, and is strictly off-limits for regular traffic.
“If one of my drivers attempted a maneuver like this, that would have been their last day on the job,” he added to WPTV.
“Send them back to India”
Netizens poured their opinion in the comment section. A user wrote, ” Look at that “look” he has. Absolutely ZERO remorse.” Another wrote, “Just business as usual in India.” ” The driver just looks annoyed. He doesn’t care,” wrote a netizen. ” “Locked them up for 60 years and send them back to India afterwards,” added a netizen. ” Import the third world; become the third world,” wrote another user.