Haitian migrants' reckless driving turns Springfield into combat zone with '8 to 10' accidents a day: residents

Ohio residents claim the mass influx of Haitian migrants has turned the city of Springfield into a combat zone as a result of their alleged reckless driving. This is due to the migrants' unfamiliarity with US road laws, residents said, where there are "eight to ten" accidents each day.

The 20,000 Haitian migrants who were relocated to the city of approximately 60,000 individuals in recent years have come at a cost to the citizens of Springfield. Some have even lost their lives.



Longtime residents told the New York Post that the immigrants are obtaining driving permits without having to learn the necessary skills to drive safely in the United States, or even knowing how to drive at all.

"There must be eight to 10 accidents a day here," one resident told The Post. "I've seen cars drive up into buildings and onto sidewalks. I believe everyone deserves help, but we shouldn't be providing cars and licenses until people know how to drive here safely."

In December, Springfield grandma Kathy Heaton, 71, was killed after being hit by a Haitian migrant driver while she was out on her street collecting garbage cans.

Kathy was struck with such force that it caused her body to violently catapult across the street, leaving both of her socks on the pavement. According to a police report, the roadway was strewn with debris, and the car's cracked windshield contained clumps of hair.

The driver identified as Robenon Louis, 38, escaped prosecution and was never charged despite having expired license plates. Kathy's daughter-in-law Mandy told the paper: "They didn't feel that it was anything prosecutable. We don't know why. The only facts I know are that two prosecutors met and felt there were no charges to be filed. We were devastated."

Residents have shared alarming footage of vehicles on social media that have crashed through homes and businesses, smashed up intersections, flown across the road into oncoming traffic, and been located in ditches.

Mandy, the mother of young twins, said the matter has left her feeling "stressed and anxious" when it comes to driving.

"Haitians are going the wrong way down one-way streets, making unlawful U-turns in the middle of the roadways, damaging property by driving recklessly, there's been some street signs taken out, people have had their garages wrecked," she said.

"They're thrown into a situation where they're given a license with minimal education and training on our laws and rules here," added Mandy.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced this week that he would be dispatching additional State Highway Patrol troopers to Springfield to help maintain order on the roads, in addition to $2.5 million in aid, due to the significant attention he driving problem has garnered.

In August 2023, Aiden Clark, 11, was killed after a 36-year-old Haitian driving without a license caused the school bus he was on to crash. At least 20 other students were hospitalized.