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Truck driven by undocumented immigrant kills state trooper in US
A state trooper in Pennsylvania was killed after being struck by a truck driven by a driver identified as an undocumented immigrant. State Senator Doug Mastriano said failures in federal border policies led to this tragedy.
A fatal accident occurred in the US state of Pennsylvania when a truck driven by an undocumented immigrant struck a state trooper. State Senator Doug Mastriano stated that the incident exposed serious gaps in the country's immigration and traffic safety policies.
Pennsylvania State Trooper Michael Pahira Jr. was killed while conducting a commercial vehicle inspection on Interstate 81 when a truck driven by Michael Bon veered out of its lane and struck his vehicle. The driver involved in the crash was identified as a Haitian undocumented immigrant who entered the US under a mass parole program implemented during the administration of former President Joe Biden.
Mastriano's Harsh Criticism of the Federal Government
State Senator Doug Mastriano argued in an interview with Fox News that the federal government's failure to enforce border laws caused this death. Mastriano said, "If the federal government had enforced its own laws that protect the borders, only those who came through legal means would be on the roads, and Trooper Michael would be alive today."
Mastriano emphasized that the crash occurred despite a 'move over' law he enacted in 2019 that requires drivers to yield to emergency vehicles. It also emerged that Bon held a valid commercial driver's license (CDL) issued by the state of Massachusetts.
Blame Game Between States and the Federal System
After the crash, both the Massachusetts and Pennsylvania administrations claimed they had verified Bon's eligibility using the federal SAVE database when issuing the commercial driver's license. The administration of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro had previously blamed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for deficiencies in the database.
Mastriano said the mutual accusations must end and made a call to the governor: "Josh Shapiro, please solve this problem. You have great authority in Pennsylvania; as governor, use that power and ask the transportation secretary to ensure that everyone who gets a CDL is legally present here, understands the language, and can drive."
A spokesperson for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation said, "This defendant should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." Pennsylvania Governor's Office spokesperson Rosie Lapowsky stated that every non-US citizen applicant is required to provide proof of identity and legal presence, and that this information is verified through the federal SAVE system.
Federal Funding Threat and a Similar Case
Mastriano suggested that the federal government could use highway funds to incentivize states to implement stricter controls, as it did during the 1970s gasoline crisis. He added that Interstate 81 could receive improvement funds on defense grounds because it connects military installations in the region.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) suspended the issuance of such licenses in accordance with a federal order dated September 29, 2025. Shortly after the incident, a driver was killed in a similar crash in Illinois; the person arrested was also announced to be an undocumented immigrant.
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