Tremont City, Ohio Tremont City, a small village outside of Springfield, Ohio, has not been spared the negative effects of the arrival of more than 20,000 Haitians in the area under the Biden-Harris administration, and the growing problem is unsustainable, Tremont City leaders and local residents told Blaze Media on Tuesday.
Springfield has been attracting national attention as residents have become more vocal about issues ranging from public safety concerns to housing problems that Haitians, now under temporary protected status, have posed to the town.
Anger reached a fever pitch after 11-year-old Aiden Clark was killed when a Haitian driver crashed into the school bus he was riding in on the first day of the 2023 school year, injuring dozens of other children on the same bus.
The tragedy also affected Mark Sanders' daughter, who witnessed the accident from another bus.
“[My daughter] “My daughter texted me that morning. The text message showed a picture of a school bus. The message said, 'Dad, there was an accident. It wasn't our fault. I'm OK. I love you.'” My daughter told the counselor later that she didn't want to ride the bus anymore because she didn't want to. “One of the things the counselor taught us was that if I drove the bus, it would be easier for my daughter to ride the bus,” he explained.
To provide peace of mind for her daughter, Sanders now works as a school bus driver for the school district.
“It's preventable. That guy should never have been in the country. He should never have been driving a vehicle. He worked for a local business that actually supplied them,” Sanders said.
One of the most common problems is Haitians driving unlicensed and dangerously. Tremont City Council President Tony Flood said many Haitians drive through town to get to work, and as a result, the city has seen a spike in accidents and dangerous driving.
Unlike Springfield, The city of Tremont will tow the vehicle. “The car belongs to a Haitian who was stopped by police for dangerous driving but did not have a license, because we cannot allow unlicensed drivers to drive the car and if they cause an accident the village will be held responsible,” Flood said.
“This problem is [Springfield] “Many times. … The city is refusing to do it. It's overflowing. They're making illegal U-turns all over the road. I can't tell you how many times I've almost been hit while pulling out of a parking spot,” Flood added.
Additionally, Flood said it's not uncommon to see people driving on the wrong side of the road: “This isn't London, England. We drive on the right side of the road.”
'[Locals] “The attitude, aggressiveness and inappropriate behaviour of immigrants in these stores is intolerable. No one feels safe.”
Sanders revealed that he was rear-ended by a Haitian driver, whose car was totaled in the accident.[ed] Sanders claimed he had “scraped” the rust off the truck's hitch.
Sanders said he believes the “standby order” was issued by the city to make Springfield appear more tolerant of Haitians because the city is not towing the cars of reckless drivers.
“These accidents that are happening around here could be prevented if all our police departments got on the same page and started towing these vehicles. It may seem like we're giving preferential treatment to certain people, but we do this regardless of race, nationality or creed,” Tremont Police Chief Chad Duncan said.
Flood's son, who serves as Tremont's mayor, said he is “scared to death” that he will one day hear something happen to his wife or daughter, who works in downtown Springfield.
“Any time you get in a car there's a risk, but right now it's even more dangerous, especially if you're heading in that direction,” said Tony Flood II. “Honestly, I'm angry that we let it get to this point.”
Mr Flood's son claimed insurance premiums had increased by 38 per cent because of the high number of accidents in the area. He added that it was not uncommon for men to own motorbikes, but that the risks were too great these days. Mr Flood said he no longer rides motorbikes.
The increased risk of traffic accidents is just one of the reasons Tremont residents have stopped shopping at Kroger and Walmart in Springfield, the elder Flood told The Blaze-News. Haitian attitudes and behavior toward local residents, especially women, is another source of safety concern.
“[Locals] “The attitude, aggressiveness and inappropriate behaviour of immigrants in these stores is intolerable. No one feels safe,” Flood said. “It's out of control.”
“We're not against anybody. We're against acts, actions and the impact of those actions. The people who are shouting the loudest are the ones who are least impacted,” Sanders said.
Both the Springfield Police Department and the mayor's office declined requests for comment from The Blaze-News.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censorship and sign up for our newsletter to receive stories like this directly to your inbox. Register here!
