A viral video by Gurlove Preet Pabla, a Punjabi man, has reignited a debate on racial and cultural stereotyping in the U.S. following a tragic road accident in Florida that claimed three lives. The crash, caused by Harjinder Singh, an Indian-origin truck driver who allegedly made an illegal U-turn, has drawn national attention — but Pabla argues the focus has shifted from the victims to the driver’s identity.
“My Turban Is Not on Trial”
In the impassioned video, Pabla criticized the way the conversation has centered on Singh’s background rather than the lives lost.
“They talked more about the turban, more about the immigrant community,” he said. “It’s like one person’s mistake has been made to define millions of immigrants in the U.S.”
Pabla pointed out a double standard in media coverage and public reaction, contrasting the current outrage with past crashes caused by white truck drivers.
“When a white truck driver killed four people in Colorado, or when a similar crash in Texas wiped out an entire family — no one talked about the baseball cap, the accent, or the white skin. But when it’s a man in a turban, suddenly, the turban is on trial. The whole community is on trial.”
Good Deeds Go Unnoticed
Pabla also highlighted a lesser-known incident involving a Punjabi truck driver in Ohio who stopped his vehicle to rescue a toddler wandering alone on a highway. That story, he said, didn’t go viral.
“Nobody talked about that man’s turban,” he said. “Because it was a good thing. Hate spreads faster than humanity.”
Urging for accountability without stereotyping, Pabla concluded,
“Accidents don’t have a race. Heroes don’t have a color. I stand for accountability, but don’t blame my turban.”
About the Florida Crash
The accident occurred when Harjinder Singh, reportedly an undocumented immigrant from India residing in the U.S. since 2018, attempted a wrong U-turn on a Florida highway. His tractor-trailer collided with a Chrysler minivan, killing:
A 37-year-old woman from Pompano Beach
A 54-year-old man from Miami (both at the scene)
A 30-year-old man from Florida City (who later died in hospital)
Dashcam footage showed the minivan slamming head-on into Singh’s vehicle during the illegal maneuver.
Singh has been charged with vehicular homicide and was extradited to Florida to face trial. His brother, Harneet Singh, who was in the passenger seat at the time, was also arrested in connection with the incident.
