NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Federal officials say a Chinese national who entered the United States illegally and later obtained a commercial driver’s license under Biden-era work authorization policies caused a deadly multi-vehicle crash in Tennessee earlier this month.
The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Transportation confirmed that Yisong Huang, 54, was driving a bus westbound on Interstate 40 on December 9 when he rear-ended a tractor-trailer, triggering a chain reaction that killed one person and injured two others. The victim was identified as Kerry Smith, an American motorist. Investigators said Huang was distracted by a video on his phone at the time of the collision. No passengers were aboard his vehicle.
Authorities said Huang entered the U.S. unlawfully from Mexico in 2023 and later admitted his illegal status to Border Patrol agents. Despite that admission, he was released into the country and granted work authorization and a Social Security card. Those documents enabled him to obtain a Class B commercial driver’s license. Federal investigators said Huang failed an English proficiency test following the crash.
“Far too many innocent Americans have been killed by illegal aliens driving semi-trucks and big rigs,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said. “Sanctuary states around the country have been issuing illegal aliens commercial driver’s licenses. The Trump administration is ending the chaos.”
Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy called the incident an indictment of prior federal policy. “The fact that this individual failed a basic English test also calls into question how he even got the license in the first place,” Duffy said. “Working with Secretary Noem, we will continue to fight to keep Americans safe on our roadways.”
The Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said it is working with Tennessee officials to review the circumstances surrounding the crash and to strengthen vetting and testing standards for commercial drivers nationwide.