Fatal accidents in Springfield, Ohio, jumped four-fold last year — as residents say migrants unfamiliar with US rules

Fatal car accidents in Springfield, Ohio, increased four-fold last year, The Post has learned — as residents say a surge of Haitian migrants unfamiliar with US driving has turned their streets into the Kentucky Derby.

Eight people were killed in seven car accidents in Clark County in 2023, up from just two fatalities in two accidents in 2022, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol overseeing the county comprising the small city.

Traffic accidents involving injuries in Springfield have also risen, climbing to 414 so far this year compared to 362 in 2023 — a 14% increase.

It is unclear if Haitian drivers contributed to those increases. The national origin of people involved in accidents is not tracked by police.

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But longtime residents of Springfield have repeatedly said many of the newly arrived Haitian migrants — about 20,000 have moved to the city of 60,000 since 2020 — have been involved in a spate of frightening accidents on their roads.

Just last week during a visit to Springfield, The Post witnessed a Haitian driver collide with a mother’s car while trying to force a right turn from the left lane.

Nobody was hurt in that incident, but at least two fatal accidents last year did involve Haitian drivers.

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On Dec. 1, 71-year-old Kathy Heaton — a Springfield resident of 40 years — was struck and killed by a Haitian driver while taking out her garbage early in the morning.

No charges were filed against the driver, as police and prosecutors ruled days later that he was not at fault.

But her daughter-in-law, Mandy Heaton, told The Post the incident was just another example of reckless driving from the newly arrived residents unfamiliar with local driving laws.

“I’m constantly stressed and anxious driving around with my kids. I have to drive defensively now, and that gets quite amped up even more when my children are in the car,” she said, alleging that Haitian migrants are behind the illegal U-turns, cars going the wrong direction down one-ways and dangerous wrecks she’s seen.

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“I’m just very, very, very hyper-vigilant and aware of my surroundings and constantly scanning parking lots and cars around me to make sure we’re safe,” she said, joining the chorus of Springfielders who have recently testified at city commission meetings about the havoc allegedly being wreaked by Haitians on their roads.

In August 2023, 11-year-old Aiden Clark also was killed when a car driven by a Haitian without a license forced the school bus he was riding in off the road. The bus rolled over as Aiden was thrown from the window, and he was crushed beneath.

Accounts of such reckless driving even caught the attention of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who in addition to sending $2.5 million in aid to the city announced this week he was dispatching additional Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers to enforce local traffic laws.

Springfield was thrust into the spotlight last week when largely debunked rumors of Haitians eating local pets were elevated onto the national stage as Donald Trump parroted them during the presidential debate.

City officials — and even the woman who first sparked the rumors with a social media post — have insisted there is zero evidence that Haitians are eating local pets.

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