Article Summary
Trucking news and briefs for Monday, July 6, 2026:
- ICE calls for state to hold Haitian immigrant truck driver accused of causing crash that killed state trooper.
- Brief hazmat blitz in Illinois: Results.
- Mountain state’s weigh-in-motion scales undergoing maintenance.
‘Illegal’ Haitian immigrant truck driver involved in fatal crash that killed Pennsylvania trooper
Aerial view from a Pennsylvania DOT camera of the crash scene that resulted in the death of Pennsylvania State Trooper Michael E. Pahira Jr.U.S. Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Monday, July 6, lodged a detainer asking Pennsylvania officials to not release from jail a Haitian “illegal alien” who was arrested after allegedly causing a tractor-trailer crash that killed a Pennsylvania state trooper.
Pennsylvania State Police reported that on July 1 at approximately 7 a.m., a trooper was struck along I-81 South while conducting a commercial vehicle safety inspection at roadside. During inspeciton, Trooper Michael E. Pahira Jr. was struck by a passing tractor-trailer driven by Michael Bon, a Haitian immigrant living in Brockton, Massachusetts, according to local reporting.
Michael BonDHS
“Both CMVs caught on fire after impact,” PSP added. “Trooper Pahira was seriously injured and was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.”
Pahira was a nearly 20-year veteran of PSP, the police agency said.
In a press release Monday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Bon had been arrested and charged with vehicular homicide and involuntary manslaughter. ICE lodged a detainer for him the day after his arrest.
Bon held a CDL from Massachusetts and, according to DHS, was released into the United States by the Biden Administration in July 2024. He then filed an application for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in October 2024, and it was never granted, DHS added.DHS
“This Haitian illegal alien was RELEASED into our country by the Biden Administration, and the sanctuary state of Massachusetts gave him a Commercial Driver’s License,” said DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “Now, because of these reckless policies, a Pennsylvania State Trooper is dead after a crash that was 100% preventable. Illegal aliens should not be driving trucks on America’s highways. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family and the Pennsylvania State Police as they mourn this loss.”
[Related: New truck crash stats show safety improved, even with more non-domiciled drivers]
Illinois hazmat blitz sidelines 61 trucks, 38 drivers
The Illinois State Police’s Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Bureau recently conducted a hazmat enforcement detail that led to nearly 600 violations being issued over two days.
The department’s Southern Illinois Hazardous Materials Detail, held from June 30 and July 1 on I-55, I-70, and surrounding areas, allowed troopers “to aggressively enforce Illinois laws and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations relating to the safe transportation of hazardous materials,” ISP’s Troop 9 said in a Facebook post.
The detail resulted in 488 total Inspections (195 involving hazardous materials), with 584 federal regulation violations, 85 Illinois Vehicle Code violations, 38 driver out-of-services orders, and 61 vehicle OOS orders.
[Related: Get ready for traffic stops, inspections before CVSA 'Safe Driver' blitz July 12]
Colorado highway lane closures planned as crews replace WIM scales
An ongoing Colorado Department of Transportation project replacing aging Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) equipment is wrapping up in Fort Morgan and is set to start at the Limon Weigh Station next week.
Today and Tuesday, July 6 and 7, drivers can expect a half-mile, single lane closure on westbound I-76 at mile 75 -- five miles south of Fort Morgan, 24 hours a day. One lane will remain open to traffic.
Beginning Wednesday, July 8, work will begin at the Limon Weigh Station. One lane will be closed for approximately a half-mile on WB I-70 at mile 361, 24 hours a day, through Friday, July 17. One lane will remain open to traffic.
Drivers should be prepared for reduced speeds and minor delays at each location, CDOT said.
The 24-hour lane closures are required to allow the new concrete to dry properly. All work is weather-dependent. The project involves the removal and replacement of the existing concrete, WIM scales, sensors and other system equipment.
Upon completion at Limon, the project shifts, sequentially, to the following weigh stations:
- I-25 -- Monument
- I-25 -- Trinidad
- I-70 -- Loma
- I-70 -- Dumont
- U.S. 50 -- Lamar
Work is expected to take approximately one to four weeks, depending on the specific project requirements at each weigh station. The project is scheduled for completion in fall 2026.
[Related: NYC installs weigh-in-motion sensors on BQE for eventual enforcement use]
