Janice R. Andrews
Springfield, Ohio — Residents of Springfield say the city now looks like a “combat zone” because so many Haitian immigrants are driving recklessly on the once-quiet streets. Many people who live in the city say that these immigrants, who don’t know U.S. traffic rules, are causing a lot of crashes and making people very worried about their safety.
The large number of Haitian immigrants coming to Springfield has caught the attention of both locals and government officials, especially since the number of traffic crashes keeps going through the roof. Some people who live there say that the streets are terrible because of all the car accidents. Reports of “eight to ten accidents a day” are becoming common.
A terrible event causes anger
One of the saddest stories was about Kathy Heaton, a 71-year-old grandmother from Springfield who was hit and killed by a Haitian immigrant while she was getting her trash cans in front of her house. The event, which happened on December 1, the day after her birthday, shocked everyone in the area. The police report says that Heaton was hit so hard that her socks were left on the ground and her body was thrown across the street. Things left over from the crash, like hair clumps on the cracked glass of the car, painted a horrible picture of what happened.
The driver, 38-year-old Robenson Louis, got away with no charges, even though the accident was very bad. He was caught driving with outdated license plates, but the case wasn’t prosecuted, which was very sad for Heaton’s family. Kathy’s daughter-in-law, Mandy Heaton, was angry and shocked by the decision. She stressed that Louis may not have meant to hurt anyone, but his careless actions led to tragedy.
“I don’t think this man got up that morning planning to hurt someone.” But the truth was that he did,” Mandy said.
Worries About Safety Rocket up
In her worry, Mandy Heaton is not the only one. A lot of people in Springfield say they worry about their safety on the roads because more and more accidents are being caused by Haitian immigrants who haven’t had enough training or time to learn how to drive in the U.S. The situation is very bad now that almost 20,000 Haitian immigrants are living in Springfield, a city with only 60,000 people.
One neighbor, who asked to remain unnamed, talked about the unsafe driving he has seen: “I’ve seen cars back into buildings and crash into sidewalks.” I think everyone should get help, but we shouldn’t give people cars and IDs until they know how to drive safely here.
Videos of cars in ditches, at roads, and even smashing into homes and businesses have become popular ways for people to vent their anger on social media. These scary events have made people even more determined to make Ohio’s rules tighter about how immigrants can get driver’s licenses.
A Push for Change
Along with other Springfield locals, Kathy Heaton’s family is working for changes to the law through “Kathy’s Law.” The law says that foreigners who want to get a driver’s license in Ohio would have to go through the same tough tests as first-time American drivers. Chris Heaton, Mandy’s husband, spoke to the Springfield City Commission with tears in his eyes and asked them to make the roads safer for everyone.
“We will push for the same rules that my seven-year-old twins, whose grandmother died that night, will have to follow when they try to get a license,” Chris Heaton said.
A lot of people in the area are supporting the new law because they want to stop tragedies like this from happening again. Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio has heard about the rising trouble in Springfield and has promised $2.5 million to help the city. DeWine is also bringing more State Highway Patrol cops to Springfield to help deal with the traffic problem, which is getting worse.
Other terrible accidents
Kathy Heaton’s death isn’t the only tragedy linked to Haitian immigrants driving carelessly in the city. Aiden Clark, 11, was killed in August 2023 when a Haitian driver who didn’t have a U.S. license caused a school bus to flip over. Aiden was killed under the bus, and 20 other kids were taken to the hospital. The public is even more worried about how safe Springfield’s roads are now after this event.
Effects on politics and society
People all over the country are talking about what’s going on in Springfield, especially since Ohio senator and Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance spread rumors that Haitian immigrants were killing local animals for food. The city has refuted these claims, but the media got a hold of a police report from August that said four Haitians were seen taking geese from a nearby park. However, this story has not been proven, and city officials have denied the claims.
But the claims became very popular during a presidential debate, when Donald Trump said, “In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people who came in, they’re eating the cats, they’re eating the pets of the people that live there, and this is what’s happening in our country.”
The local government has continued to reject these claims, and neither the Clark County judges nor the Ohio State Highway Patrol have said anything about the growing number of accidents involving Haitian refugees.
A City in Trouble
Springfield is in a tough spot because of the growing problems with road safety and the large number of newcomers. Many people who live there feel sorry for the refugees who are trying to find a better life, but they say that the right steps need to be taken to protect the public. The streets of Springfield need to be cleaned up badly because car crashes are happening all the time.
For now, the city is waiting to see what else the state will do to deal with the growing worries. Meanwhile, people in the area like Mandy Heaton are still pushing for change because they don’t want any other families to go through the same heartbreak.
