A Tennessee truck driver is dead after a Chinese national, who is not proficient in English and has a non-domiciled New York commercial driver’s license (CDL), allegedly crashed a tour bus — now federal transportation officials are investigating how he was cleared to drive.
“A Chinese national driving a motorcoach slammed into a vehicle in Tennessee, killing an individual and causing a major traffic jam this week,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wrote in a post on social media. “And to make matters worse: this driver had a non-domiciled CDL from NY and couldn’t speak English!”
Earlier this week, Huang Yisong, a 54-year-old Chinese national, allegedly slammed a tour bus he was driving into the rear of a tractor-trailer while watching videos on his cell phone, the New York Post reported. Yisong failed an English-proficiency test administered by Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers. His immigration status is not clear at this time.
The State of New York issued a non-domiciled CDL to Yisong.
“It’s outrageous,” a Department of Transportation spokesperson told the Post. “Our team is already investigating New York’s opaque licensing practices that enable dangerous, foreign drivers to kill innocent Americans.”
Tennessee troopers arrested the Chinese national. It is not clear what charges are being filed in connection with the fatal crash.
Yisong allegedly crashed his tour bus into the rear of a tractor-trailer and veered into oncoming traffic on Interstate 40 in Tennessee, WSMV reported. The bus then was struck by a Volkswagen Jetta. The driver of another tractor-trailer, 31-year-old Kerry Smith, a Tennessee resident, was killed in the crash.
Yisong and the Jetta driver were injured in the crash.
New York DMV officials told the Post the agency did nothing wrong in issuing the CDL. “Let’s be clear: Regulating commercial driver licenses is a federal responsibility,” the spokesperson tol the New York newspaper. “It is the height of hypocrisy for leaders in Washington to place blame at states for following federal rules.”
However, earlier this year, President Donald Trump signed an executive order requiring that trukers be proficient in English, Breitbart’s Nick Gilbertson reported in April.
“President Trump believes that English is a non-negotiable safety requirement for professional drivers, as they should be able to read and understand traffic signs, communicate with traffic safety officers, border patrol, agricultural checkpoints, and cargo weight-limit station personnel, and provide and receive feedback and directions in English,” the document notes.
Under the anticipated order, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will be directed “to rescind and replace guidance to strengthen inspection procedures for compliance with English proficiency requirements,” per the White House document.
Secretary Duffy said he will have more to say on this on Friday. A Department of Transportation spokesperson told Breitbart Texas that the department will hold a press conference at 10:30 EST to provide additional information on the topic.
Breitbart Texas contacted officials from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Transportation for additional information. Check back for updates on this developing story.
Bob Price is the Breitbart Texas-Border team’s associate editor and senior news contributor. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday morning talk show. He also serves as president of Blue Wonder Gun Care Products.
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