Cass Township, PA — A Haitian national charged in the death of Pennsylvania State Trooper Michael Pahira was in the United States illegally at the time of the crash, according to the Department of Homeland Security, prompting renewed scrutiny over immigration enforcement and commercial driver’s license eligibility.
Authorities said Michael Bon, 33, was driving a tractor-trailer on Interstate 81 in Schuylkill County on Wednesday, July 1, when his truck left the roadway and struck Pahira during a commercial vehicle safety inspection. The impact triggered a chain-reaction crash involving multiple vehicles.
Trooper killed during roadside inspection
Trooper Pahira, 44, was conducting an inspection of a commercial vehicle in Cass Township when the crash occurred. Witnesses pulled him from the wreckage before emergency responders arrived, but he later died from his injuries at Lehigh Valley Hospital–Schuylkill.
Bon was arrested and is being held on $700,000 bail. Prosecutors have charged him with homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, and related offenses. The criminal case remains pending.
DHS details immigration status
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Bon entered the United States in July 2024 under humanitarian parole. Officials said he later applied for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), but the application was never approved.
DHS stated that Bon’s parole was terminated on June 13, 2025, after which he remained in the country without lawful immigration status. Federal authorities have since lodged an immigration detainer against him.
Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles officials confirmed Bon received a non-domiciled Commercial Driver’s License in March 2025, which was renewed in February. State officials said the license was issued in accordance with federal eligibility requirements that applied at the time.
Licensing process draws scrutiny
The confirmation of Bon’s immigration status has sparked public debate over federal immigration enforcement and the rules governing non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses.
While prosecutors continue pursuing the criminal case related to the fatal crash, questions have also been raised about how individuals whose immigration status later changes are tracked within commercial licensing systems. Massachusetts officials have said Bon met licensing requirements when his CDL was issued.
The investigation into the crash remains ongoing.
Key Points
- Pennsylvania State Trooper Michael Pahira was fatally struck during a commercial vehicle inspection on Interstate 81.
- Michael Bon, a 33-year-old Haitian national, is charged with homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, and related offenses.
- DHS confirmed Bon’s parole had been terminated before the crash and that an immigration detainer has been placed against him.
- Massachusetts officials said Bon’s non-domiciled CDL was issued under federal eligibility standards in effect at the time.
Official Press Release
Governor Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens, Acting Commissioner, identified the fallen trooper as Trooper Michael E. Pahira Jr., a Schuylkill County native.
Trooper Pahira enlisted in the Pennsylvania State Police in January 2007 and was assigned to Troop L in Frackville as a Motor Carrier Inspector.
At approximately 7:00 a.m., Trooper Pahira was conducting a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) inspection along Interstate 81 South near Mile Marker 119.3 in Cass Township, Schuylkill County.
During the inspection, Trooper Pahira was outside his marked patrol vehicle and standing near the cab of the stationary commercial vehicle on the highway shoulder. His patrol vehicle was parked directly behind the CMV with its emergency lights activated.
A second commercial motor vehicle traveling southbound left the roadway and struck the patrol vehicle’s side-view mirror before crashing into the rear of the commercial vehicle being inspected, pushing it farther off the roadway. The second CMV then struck Trooper Pahira. Both commercial vehicles caught fire following the collision.
Trooper Pahira suffered critical injuries and was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The driver of the striking commercial vehicle was injured and remains under medical treatment. The operator of the inspected commercial vehicle was not injured.
Trooper Pahira was 44 years old and is the 106th member of the Pennsylvania State Police to die in the line of duty.
Interstate 81 South remained closed following the crash as investigators continued to examine the scene. The investigation remains active.
