Sikhs for Justice hold prayer outside St. Lucie jail, call for fair trial in fatal crash case

By CNN Newsource

Published August 29, 2025 9:17 AM

By Caleb Califano

FORT PIERCE, Florida (WPBF) — The group Sikhs for Justice gathered outside the St. Lucie County Jail on Thursday, holding a prayer service for both the families of the three people killed in a crash and for the man charged in their deaths.

The group says it is pushing for two things: justice for the victims and a fair trial for Harjinder Singh. Singh is accused of making an illegal U-turn on the Florida Turnpike on Aug. 12, causing a crash that killed three people.

During the gathering, an attorney who met with Singh said he fled India in 2018 due to persecution over his political beliefs. They added that Singh has been filled with remorse since the deadly crash.

“I asked Harjinder about his well-being, and his first words were, when I held the hand of the minivan driver, I wish I could have held onto his life, and I never had to see anyone lose their life in this tragic accident,” said Gurpatwant Singh Pannun with Sikhs for Justice.

The group also voiced concerns that Singh and the Sikh community could be unfairly targeted because of the case. They pointed out that more than 100,000 Sikh truck drivers work across the U.S., calling them the “backbone” of the nation’s supply chain.

“The other Sikh drivers have told that they are facing some discrimination already, because everyone is pointing towards them already because they are one of Harjinder’s clan,” Pannun said.

The St. Lucie County Public Defender’s Office also joined the prayer, urging the case not to turn into what they called a political spectacle.

“Both sides are using the loss of life tragedy of three people and another hanging in the balance for political gain,” said Assistant Public Defender Jace Lunn.

Singh remains held without bond at the St. Lucie County Jail. He faces three charges of manslaughter, in addition to three counts of vehicular homicide.

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