A Somali truck driver with a Minnesota license who drove the wrong way down a highway could not read the road signs, authorities say.
Terrifying footage shared on social media showed the truck driving against traffic on US 61 near Troy, Missouri around 8am on Wednesday, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
The truck nearly collided with several other cars before finally crossing the median on to the correct side of the road, when it was stopped by police.
The driver, whose name has not been released, had obtained a commercial driver’s license from Minnesota, NewsNation reported.
Police said the driver showed no signs of impairment or medical issues and determined the trucker was going the wrong way because they could not read the road signs.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy addressed the ‘disturbing’ incident in a post on X.
‘We have learned that a truck driver with a Minnesota CDL who couldn’t read basic road signs spent MILES driving the wrong way in an 80 TON truck,’ Duffy wrote.
‘Thanks to Missouri law enforcement, this dangerous trucker is now out of service.’
A truck driver with a Minnesota license was recording driving the wrong way down a highway Wednesday morning
The truck nearly collided with several other cars before finally crossing the median on to the correct side of the road, when it was stopped by police
Duffy noted the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is investigating the truck carrier, Cargo Transportation LLC.
‘We will not stop until America’s roads are safe again for families,’ he added.
The driver was reportedly issued a citation for driving the wrong way, was placed out of service and not allowed to continue driving, but was not arrested.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety told the Daily Mail they are waiting for the results of the FMCSA investigation.
‘We don’t yet know the facts of this situation, so we will wait to learn more from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association’s (FMCSA) investigation,’ the department said.
‘However we can confirm that all CDL applicants in Minnesota must take their knowledge and behind-the-wheel testing in English to demonstrate the ability to safely operate a commercial vehicle.’
The Daily Mail has contacted Missouri State Highway Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement for more information.
In April last year, Trump signed an executive order requiring truck drivers to speak English and pass literacy tests amid his immigration crackdown.
Rules requiring English proficiency to drive a big rig have been on the books since 1937. Before Trump’s order, truckers had been getting citations rather than being taken off the road.
The assessments focus on practical communication – a driver’s ability to follow instructions, understand warnings, and interact with law enforcement – and administration officials have cast them as a long-overdue safety upgrade.
By December, thousands of truckers had their licenses revoked for failing English-language proficiency tests.
In August, an immigrant truck driver from India, identified as Harjinder Singh, killed three people while attempting a U-turn
‘We’ve now knocked 9,500 truck drivers out of service for failing to speak our national language — ENGLISH!’ Duffy wrote on X in December.
‘This administration will always put you and your family’s safety first.’
In August, a deadly crash on a Florida turnpike became a flashpoint after an immigrant truck driver from India attempted a U-turn.
The move sent his trailer across lanes and into the path of an oncoming minivan. Three people were killed.
The driver, identified as asylum seeker Harjinder Singh, pleaded not guilty to charges of manslaughter and vehicular homicide.
The administration quickly seized on the case, with federal officials saying the driver had entered the country illegally before later obtaining a California-issued commercial driver’s license.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio framed the crash as evidence of broader failures in oversight and enforcement.
