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The tragic 2017 death of 18-year-old Connor Dzion in northern Florida shows us the catastrophic consequences of weak enforcement of commonsense road safety measures. Connor was killed by a distracted truck driver who could not read English and ignored critical warning signs as he barreled down the highway. This was a preventable tragedy, not a simple mistake.
American lives should not be considered collateral damage for failed social justice initiatives or the desires of shifty trucking companies that seek to undercut the wages of domestic truck drivers. Congress must act decisively.
That is why Rep. Dave Taylor, R-Ohio, and I introduced Connor’s Law to codify the long-standing, commonsense English language proficiency (ELP) requirement for commercial motor vehicle drivers. This bill would ensure CDL holders who cannot read or speak English are placed out of service.
An undocumented driver, who failed his English assessment, was involved in a crash that killed three people as he sought to execute an illegal U-turn in the middle of a busy multi-lane highway in Florida last month. (St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office)
These are not new expectations or requirements. Existing federal regulations have in fact long stipulated that CDL drivers must "read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public, to understand highway traffic signs and signals in the English language, to respond to official inquiries, and to make entries on reports and records."
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In 2016, however, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), at the direction of the Obama administration, quietly stripped English-proficiency violations from its out-of-service criteria, effectively gutting enforcement of that commonsense rule.
Having learned of this risk early in my tenure as Wyoming’s congresswoman, I began calling for a return to enforcement. On April 10, 2025, I sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy identifying this issue and noting that "with the number of accidents involving CMVs on the rise, it is critical that we take steps to uncover and reevaluate these sorts of concealed policies."
Being true to their pledge of responsiveness and accountability, Secretary Duffy immediately reiterated that this administration would again enforce the ELP requirements. Under President Donald Trump, the FMCSA then issued new guidance to inspectors to assess a driver’s English language proficiency during roadside inspections, including driver interviews and sign-recognition assessments.
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The driver interview requires the inspector to first initiate the inspection in English, and if the driver does not understand basic instructions, a verbal interview to evaluate their ability to converse and respond to official inquiries will be conducted. Also, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) reinstated ELP failures as out-of-service violations.
Concerningly, state enforcement remains uneven and uncertain. That is why Connor’s Law matters. It cements this standard into law, giving state and federal authorities the clarity and authority needed to keep our roads safe.
On Aug. 21, 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced an immediate pause on all worker-visa issuance for commercial truck drivers, citing public safety concerns and the threat to American livelihoods. This restriction was adopted following the horrific crash in Florida where an undocumented driver, who failed his English assessment, was involved in a crash that killed three people as he sought to execute an illegal U-turn in the middle of a busy multi-lane highway. This is yet another tragedy that never should have happened.
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Here in Wyoming, we have firsthand experience with the tragic consequences of allowing ELP-deficient drivers on our highways, a fact brought home just in the last week. On Dec. 21, 2022, the life of Tyeler Harris was cut short, and Tiffany Gruetzmacher was severely injured when Saviol Saint Jean drove through an accident site and crashed into them, traveling anywhere from 45 to 60 mph. Saint Jean was not proficient in English, despite having received a CDL.
While some non-English speaking drivers may understand standard road signs, such as a stop sign, they cannot understand variable-message signs (VMS) that are prevalent on our highways. In Wyoming, VMS are used across the state – most especially across the full stretch of I-80 (which sees over 12,000 vehicles per day) – to warn drivers of changing weather conditions, dangerous hazards and road closures.
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If commercial drivers cannot read English, they will miss critical VMS instructions entirely, compromising safety and increasing the likelihood of catastrophic reactions to changing road conditions.
Every American deserves to be confident that when they are sharing the roadways with 18-wheelers that the person behind the wheel can read a sign, understand directions, respond to emergencies and follow the rules. By passing Connor’s Law, we will be improving the safety on our highways and ensuring that Connor did not die in vain.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM REP. HARRIET HAGEMAN
Harriet Hageman, a Republican, is the lone member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wyoming.
