A devastating highway collision in Tennessee has ignited a firestorm over New York’s questionable commercial driver licensing policies.
According to Breitbart, on December 9, 2025, a tragic crash on I-40 westbound claimed the life of American truck driver Kerry Smith, injured two others, and exposed deep flaws in immigration and state licensing systems.
The incident began when 54-year-old Yisong Huang, a bus driver with no passengers aboard, allegedly rear-ended a tractor-trailer, triggering a catastrophic chain reaction.
Investigators quickly determined that Huang was distracted by a video on his phone at the time of the collision, a reckless act that cost a life. But the story doesn’t end with driver error; Huang, it turns out, is an unauthorized migrant from China who crossed into the U.S. from Mexico in 2023.
After admitting his unlawful entry to Border Patrol agents, Huang was released into the country under policies enacted by the current administration, a decision now under intense scrutiny.
Armed with work authorization papers and a Social Security card provided by federal authorities, Huang managed to secure a Class B Commercial Driver’s License in New York.
Shockingly, despite failing a basic English proficiency test, he was still handed the keys to operate heavy vehicles on American roads.
The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Transportation have since confirmed both his unauthorized status and his failure to meet language standards, raising alarms about public safety.
Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy didn’t mince words, declaring, “A Chinese national driving a motorcoach slammed into a vehicle in Tennessee, killing an individual and causing a major traffic jam this week.”
“And to make matters worse: this driver had a non-domiciled CDL from NY and couldn’t speak English!” Duffy added, pointing a sharp finger at state-level loopholes that defy federal standards.
His frustration is echoed by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who stated, “Far too many innocent Americans have been killed by illegal aliens driving semi-trucks and big rigs. And yet, sanctuary states around the country have been issuing illegal aliens commercial driver’s licenses.”
Noem’s follow-up was a promise of action: “The Trump Administration is ending the chaos.” It’s a bold stance, but one that many argue is long overdue, given the tragic outcomes on our highways.
In a direct challenge to New York, Secretary Duffy has threatened to withhold $73 million in federal highway funding unless the state revokes licenses issued to unauthorized migrants, a move that could force a reckoning with progressive policies.
Critics of New York’s practices contend that such lax standards have turned highways into danger zones, creating a pipeline of unqualified drivers who threaten lives and flout federal oversight—a bitter pill for law-abiding citizens to swallow.