The truck driver involved in a crash that killed a Pennsylvania State trooper has been charged with homicide by vehicle and has an immigration detainer lodged against him, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security told Land Line.
Trooper Michael E. Pahira Jr., 44, was conducting a commercial motor vehicle inspection along Interstate 81 on July 1 when a second commercial motor vehicle reportedly left the roadway and struck the patrol unit’s side mirror. According to the Pennsylvania State Police, the second truck then impacted the rear of the commercial motor vehicle that was being inspected.
“The second commercial motor vehicle then struck Trooper Pahira,” the Pennsylvania State Police said in a news release. “Both CMVs caught on fire after impact. Trooper Pahira was seriously injured and was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.”
Michael Bon, who was operating the second commercial motor vehicle, was arrested by Pennsylvania State Police on July 1 and charged with homicide by vehicle. The following day, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged an immigration detainer against Bon.
According to DHS, Bon is a 33-year-old “illegal alien” from Haiti who received a CDL in Massachusetts.
DHS said that Bon entered the U.S. as a parolee in July 2024, but that his application for temporary protected status was never granted. According to DHS, Bon was issued a Notice of Termination of Parole in June 2025, but Bon “refused to leave the country.”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who has spent much of his time on the job focused on cleaning up the non-domiciled CDL system, spoke out about the tragedy.
“This 4th of July weekend my thoughts are with the family of this PA state trooper who was killed by an illegal Haitian truck driver,” Duffy posted to the social media platform X on July 5. “Trooper Pahira was caring for his mom with cancer. These senseless tragedies are why I am working my heart out to change the policies that encouraged illegal drivers, enabled shady trucker schools, and drove down the wages for American truckers. Trooper Pahira — Rest in peace.”
This 4th of July weekend my thoughts are with the family of this PA state trooper who was killed by an illegal Haitian truck driver. Trooper Pahira was caring for his mom with cancer.
These senseless tragedies are why I am working my heart out to change the policies that…
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) July 5, 2026
In March, a rule from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration took effect and is expected to remove nearly 200,000 non-domiciled CDLs.
The Pennsylvania State Police didn’t immediately respond to Land Line’s questions about Bon’s arrest or additional crash details. LL
Credit: Source link
