PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A Change.org petition created over the weekend in support of Harjinder Singh has collected more than 2.8 million signatures.
"This was a tragic accident — not a deliberate act. While accountability matters, the severity of the charges against him does not align with the circumstances of the incident," the petition states.
WATCH: Petition asks for leniency for trucker in fatal crash
Singh, the semi-truck driver accused of killing three people on the Florida Turnpike after making an illegal U-turn on Aug. 12, made his first appearance in court Saturday, after being extradited back to Florida from California.
Singh, an undocumented immigrant, is currently being charged with three counts of vehicular manslaughter and three new charges of manslaughter, and is being held without bond.
The petition was sent to the office of Gov. Ron DeSantis, who last week said the state intends to "throw the book" at Singh. It asks for a "proportionate and reasonable sentence that reflects the reality this was a tragic accident, not an intentional act of harm."
Singh obtained a commercial drivers license (CDL) in California after entering the country illegally from Mexico in 2018. The Department of Homeland Security said Singh's request for work authorization was denied in 2020, but approved in 2021.
WATCH: Driver in Turnpike crash held without bond in St. Lucie County
Late last week, the State Department said it is pausing issuing work visas to foreign drivers looking to become commercial truck drivers. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration also launched an investigation into the crash.
The petition requests Singh be eligible for parole and go through restorative justice, counseling or community service if convicted. It's an ask that's sparked controversy, nationwide and locally.
Former Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg believes the petition has no merit.
"Prosecutors and judges are not swayed by petitions," he said.
The petition cites a case from 2019 as an example of public outcry impacting sentencing.
A semi-truck driver in Colorado, who investigators say killed four people, was facing 110 years behind bars until a petition signed by more than 5 million people persuaded the governor to commute his sentence to 10 years.
Why is that case different?
"It was after the sentence, and because of a mechanical failure on the truck," Aronberg said. "It wasn't because he made the conscious decision to make an illegal U-turn."
WPTV reached out to the person who started the petition, but we're still waiting to hear back.
Meanwhile, Gov. DeSantis' office responded to the request for leniency, telling us: "No deal. In Florida, criminal actions have consequences."
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