DHS reveals Massachusetts driver involved in fatal crash is a Haitian illegal immigrant

Key Points:

• Michael Bon, a 33-year-old commercial truck driver from Brockton, Massachusetts, is being held on $700,000 bail after allegedly causing a fatal crash that killed Pennsylvania State Trooper Michael Pahira Jr.; Bon is an illegal immigrant from Haiti who has been in the U.S. since June 2025.
• Bon was issued a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) by Massachusetts despite his immigration status, as the state relied on federal databases that listed him as eligible under policies from the Trump administration; the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) stated that Bon’s CDL renewals in 2025 and 2026 complied with federal rules at the time.
• Trooper Pahira was killed during a routine inspection on I-81 when Bon’s tractor-trailer veered off the road and struck him and another truck; construction workers attempted to rescue Pahira, who later died at the hospital, while Bon sustained undisclosed injuries.
• The Massachusetts State Police’s role in Bon’s CDL issuance was limited to conducting skills tests, and the RMV clarified it does not have authority over CDL approvals; the MSP had prior issues with troopers involved in a CDL test cheating scandal.
• Bon faces multiple charges including involuntary manslaughter and reckless driving, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has lodged a detainer; a preliminary hearing is set for July 16, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro publicly mourned Trooper Pahira’s death.