The transportation department secretary, Sean Duffy, held a press conference on December 12th and announced that due to an audit revealing that over half of the commercial driver’s licenses in New York state were issued to undocumented residents, the federal government would withhold up to $73 million in transportation-related funding if the state does not “restore compliance” to its commercial driver’s license issuance system within 30 days. This action comes as federal officials investigate a fatal car accident in Tennessee involving a driver holding a commercial driver’s license (CDL) issued by New York state. New York state has denied the allegations, stating that all commercial licenses must be federally approved and accusing Duffy of political manipulation.
The accident occurred early this past Tuesday (9th) morning on Interstate 40 in Putnam County, Tennessee. According to local law enforcement reports, a tour bus rear-ended a tractor-trailer, triggering a chain reaction involving at least three vehicles. The 31-year-old truck driver sustained fatal injuries, and over ten other individuals were injured and transported to hospitals, including passengers on the tour bus.
Several media outlets cited law enforcement sources stating that the 54-year-old tour bus driver, Huang Yisong, was allegedly watching a video on his phone at the time of the accident, failing to pay attention to the road ahead, resulting in the crash. Tennessee Highway Patrol stated that criminal responsibility is still under further evaluation, and formal charges have not yet been filed.
Reports from the media indicated that the driver had limited English comprehension and communication skills when interacting with law enforcement after the accident, raising questions about whether he met the federal requirement for commercial drivers to have “basic English proficiency.” As per regulations, commercial drivers must be able to read road signs, comprehend safety instructions, and engage in basic communication with law enforcement officers.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has now intervened to investigate if the driver meets the qualifications for a New York state commercial driver’s license. Federal officials stated they would thoroughly review the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles’ (DMV) processes for issuing licenses to ensure compliance with federal and state-level regulations.
During a news conference on Friday, Secretary Duffy stated, “53% of commercial driver’s licenses issued to non-residents in New York are illegal or non-compliant.”
“Distributing commercial driver’s licenses like handing out candy in multiple states is unacceptable! They must adhere to our common-sense laws – otherwise, they risk losing funding,” he posted on X platform. “We will hold New York responsible for illegally issuing commercial licenses to non-residents. This ends here. We give New York 30 days to make corrections, or we will withhold $73 million! The safety of the American people comes first.”
New York State DMV spokesperson Walter McClure accused Duffy of lying about New York’s situation, stating, “The fact is: Commercial driver’s licenses are federally regulated, and the New York State DMV has always complied with federal regulations in the past and will continue to do so.” “Every commercial driver’s license (CDL) we issue must be verified by federal government-issued documents to confirm the applicant’s legal identity and undergo scrutiny according to federal regulations. We will carefully review the letter from the Department of Transportation and respond accordingly.”