{"id":251251,"date":"2026-07-24T16:55:06","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T16:55:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/251251\/"},"modified":"2026-07-24T16:55:06","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T16:55:06","slug":"truck-driver-in-crash-that-killed-pa-state-trooper-here-legally-lawyer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/251251\/","title":{"rendered":"Truck driver in crash that killed Pa. state trooper here legally: lawyer"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Allentown lawyer for a Haitian immigrant accused of causing the crash that killed a Pennsylvania state trooper on Interstate 81 in Schuylkill County <\/a>says his client was in the United States legally at the time of the accident.<\/p>\n

Attorney John Waldron on Friday shared records from the Department of Homeland Security that show that truck driver Michael Bon was authorized to work in the U.S. until June 2027, and had a pending application for asylum.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to clear the air about his immigration status,\u201d Waldron said. \u201cEverybody just jumped on the idea that he was illegal, without doing their homework.\u201d<\/p>\n

Waldron said he believes Bon, 33, may have suffered a seizure before losing control of the big rig he was driving. Although not diagnosed with seizure disorder since moving to the U.S. 2-\u00bd years ago, Bon described having seizure-like episodes in his home country that were treated with an herbal tea, Waldron said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not like here, where you can go to the doctor and find out what\u2019s wrong with you. It\u2019s a third-world country,\u201d Waldron said.<\/p>\n

Trooper Michael Pahira was killed in the crash along Interstate 81 in Cass Township on the morning of July 1. Witnesses told police that Pahira was standing on the highway shoulder conducting a routine inspection at about 7 a.m. when Bon\u2019s tractor-trailer veered out of the southbound lanes and hit both Pahira and the truck that he was inspecting.<\/p>\n

Bon\u2019s truck burst into flames with Pahira trapped underneath its front bumper, witnesses said. He was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill in Pottsville, where he was pronounced dead later that morning.<\/p>\n

Pahira\u2019s marked patrol vehicle was parked directly behind the truck he was inspecting and had its emergency lights activated when the crash occurred, troopers said.<\/p>\n

\"LadderLadder trucks display an American flag Wednesday, July 8, 2026, at the North Schuylkill Junior\/Senior High School entrance as agencies gather for the funeral service for Trooper Michael Pahira Jr., who was killed in the line of duty. (AISHWARYA BEHL\/STAFF PHOTO)<\/p>\n

Waldron said Bon has no memory of the crash. Witnesses told police that Bon, bleeding from a head wound, joined construction workers who had rushed over from a nearby worksite and attempted to pull Pahira from under the burning truck.<\/p>\n

Bon was briefly hospitalized and then arrested. He is charged with homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter and related crimes, and is being held in the Schuylkill County jail on $700,000 bail.<\/p>\n

The records show that Bon came from Haiti to the U.S. legally in July 2024. He entered as a parolee, which is a person who is allowed to come into the U.S. for a short period because of an emergency. Bon cited gang-related violence and natural disasters that destroyed his home as reasons for seeking asylum.<\/p>\n

He was issued a non-domicile Massachusetts commercial drivers license through a federal program that allows foreign nationals to get a CDL.<\/p>\n

Waldron said Bon came to the U.S. with other family members, including a younger brother who is also a truck driver. He filed numerous applications and appeals to remain, which is typical for persons navigating the asylum process, Waldron said.<\/p>\n

A denial notice issued July 8 for Bon\u2019s application for temporary protected status backs this up. From the notice:<\/p>\n

\u201cOn November 5, 2023, you were the beneficiary of Form I-134A, Online Request to be a Supporter and Declaration of Financial Support, receipt IOE9181241687. This was approved on May 29, 2024 through June 12, 2025.<\/p>\n

On July 2, 2024, you were paroled into the United States at Fort Lauderdale, Florida under the Haitian Humanitarian Parole (HHP) Program. Your stay in the United States was authorized until July 1, 2026.<\/p>\n

On July 3, 2024, you filed Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, receipt IOE9418571206, requesting an initial Employment Authorization Document under the (c)(11) classification for individuals paroled into the United States. This was approved on July 23, 2024, but subsequently revoked on June 12, 2025 when HHP was terminated.<\/p>\n

On June 28, 2025, you filed Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal, receipt MGL2572061845, this application remains pending.<\/p>\n

On October 26, 2024, you filed Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status, receipt IOE9466661177, requesting an initial grant of TPS under the Designation of Haiti for TPS. This application is now being denied.<\/p>\n

On December 19, 2025, you filed Form I-765, receipt IOE9361511814, requesting an initial Employment Authorization Document under the (c)(08) classification for individuals pending asylum. This was approved on December 29, 2025 through June 28, 2027.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Pennsylvania State Troopers Association released a statement earlier this month questioning Bon\u2019s immigration status.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not about politics,\u201d wrote association president Stephen Polishan. \u201cThis is about right versus wrong. Trooper Pahira was a hero, and his family, fellow troopers and the public deserve answers. They need to know why the person accused of this senseless killing, who was in the United States illegally, had been granted a commercial driver\u2019s license in Massachusetts. This individual should never have been driving such a dangerous vehicle on our highways. But he was, and now a good man is dead. Trooper Pahira should be alive today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pahira, 44, was a 20-year veteran of the State Police and was working out of the Frackville barracks of Troop L as a motor carrier inspector.<\/p>\n

Waldron said he could not explain why Bon\u2019s complete immigration record was not shared with state police. The Trump administration discontinued the Haitian Humanitarian Parole program last year, but beneficiaries of the program were allowed to remain in the U.S. while applying for asylum through other programs.<\/a><\/p>\n

On the day of the crash, Bon was driving from New Hampshire to Texas, and had just stopped in New York to refuel, Waldron said. He had rested for an hour in New York and consumed an energy drink.<\/p>\n

Bon was not under the influence of any controlled substance, Waldron said. Records show he was not charged with any drug-related crime in connection with the crash.<\/p>\n

Waldron said he plans on conducting a full investigation into the crash, including the width of the highway shoulder and where the resting vehicles were located before impact. Bon will also undergo medical testing.<\/p>\n

Even if Bon had been diagnosed with a seizure disorder, it may not have stopped him from becoming a truck driver. While Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations prohibit a person with a seizure disorder from operating a commercial vehicle across state boundaries, drivers who can show that their seizures are under control may be eligible to submit an application for exemption.<\/p>\n

There are similar exemptions for non-CDL drivers. Most states require a doctor\u2019s note showing a driver is completely free of seizures for a set time, typically ranging from 3 to 12 months. In Pennsylvania, a driver must be seizure-free for six months.<\/p>\n

Waldron said Bon\u2019s immigration status should not be a factor in determining what caused the crash, or how Bon is prosecuted. Bon\u2019s employer, whom Waldron declined to name, remains supportive, he said.<\/p>\n

Bon was \u201cdevastated\u201d by the crash and repeatedly expresses remorse when Waldron visits him in jail, the lawyer said.<\/p>\n

\u201c \u2018I wish I would have died instead of the state trooper. I feel so bad that I\u2019ve caused this tragedy,\u2019 \u201d Waldron recalled Bon saying.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Allentown lawyer for a Haitian immigrant accused of causing the crash that killed a Pennsylvania state trooper…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":251252,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[119,121,120,202,433,182,139,28,231,33223,432],"class_list":["post-251251","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-allentown","tag-allentown","tag-allentown-headlines","tag-allentown-news","tag-crime-and-public-safety","tag-lehigh-county","tag-local-news","tag-news","tag-pennsylvania","tag-schuylkill-county","tag-schuylkill-haven","tag-top-stories-tmc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251251","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=251251"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251251\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/251252"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=251251"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=251251"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=251251"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}