A Pennsylvania State Police trooper was killed Wednesday when a commercial truck struck his patrol vehicle and the truck he was inspecting along Interstate 81. The driver of the semi-truck, identified as 33-year-old Michael Bon, a Haitian national, is facing multiple charges, including homicide by vehicle.
Bon had entered the United States in July 2024 through Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport under the Biden administration's humanitarian parole program. His application for Temporary Protected Status was denied, and the Department of Homeland Security terminated his parole in June 2025, ordering him to leave the country. Despite the order, he remained in the U.S.
Bon obtained a non-domiciled commercial driver's license in Massachusetts in March 2025, according to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles. The registry stated he qualified for the license while he was legally authorized to work, and it was renewed in February 2026. This occurred before the Trump administration directed states to cease issuing or renewing non-domiciled CDLs for drivers no longer meeting federal eligibility requirements.
The crash occurred when the semi-truck Bon was driving left the roadway and struck Trooper Michael E. Pahira Jr.'s marked patrol vehicle and another truck. Both semi-trucks caught fire following the collision. Pahira, 44, was transported to a local hospital, where he later died. He had joined the Pennsylvania State Police in 2007 and most recently served as a Motor Carrier Enforcement Inspector.
Bon is being held at Schuylkill County Prison on $700,000 bail, with his next court date scheduled for July 15. The Department of Homeland Security has lodged an immigration detainer against him.
Pahira's death highlights concerns raised by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy regarding the tightening of commercial driver licensing rules, particularly in light of multiple fatal crashes involving non-domiciled CDL holders in recent years. Duffy has made this issue a priority, launching a nationwide audit of states issuing such licenses after a series of deadly incidents across the country. President Donald Trump has stated that at least 17 fatal crashes in 2025, resulting in 30 deaths, involved immigrants living in the U.S. illegally who were driving commercial vehicles with CDLs.
The Department of Transportation has also warned states about withholding federal funding if they continue to issue licenses to ineligible drivers. In April, New York had more than $73 million in federal funding withheld for failing to revoke CDLs from drivers no longer meeting federal eligibility criteria. A spokesperson for the Transportation Department stated that the move was to hold states accountable for ensuring only qualified and properly vetted drivers operate commercial trucks.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro remembered Trooper Pahira, noting that the veteran officer had recently moved back to his hometown to assist his mother with her cancer treatment. "They told me about Mike — about how great a man he was, about his high school wrestling record, his love of cooking, and his commitment to caring for his mother as she battles cancer," Shapiro said at a press conference.