Authorities in Ohio have revealed that the truck driver, Modou F. Ngom, who was involved in an interstate crash resulting in the deaths of three members of a young family, obtained his driver’s license and U.S. citizenship fraudulently under a different identity. Ngom, 50, was arrested following a multi-vehicle collision on Interstate 71 near Route 36 on April 11, where his semi-trailer crashed into halted traffic in a construction zone, causing a significant fire.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol reported that the crash claimed the lives of a 37-year-old man from Ashley, Ohio, a 36-year-old woman, and their 1-year-old child. Although three others were injured, luckily, their injuries were not life-threatening.
Andy Wilson, Secretary of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, noted that investigators discovered conflicting personal identification details in both state and federal records after Ngom’s arrest. It appears Ngom entered the U.S. in the 1990s, using various names and dates of birth to secure both state and federal identification.
Wilson stated that Ngom fraudulently acquired an Ohio driver’s license in 2007 under an alias, later obtaining a commercial driver’s license and eventually becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen under that name before reverting to his original name, Modou Ngom, in 2015.
Law enforcement has now been directed to share this information with the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement for further investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio and the Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office have also been informed.
According to chaotic 911 calls and dispatch records, as the fire erupted, callers expressed grave concern for the people trapped in the vehicles, with remarks indicating that many thought they would not survive. “The fire is pretty huge,” one voice noted, while another described the scene as “pretty bad,” with people rushing outside their vehicles in panic.
The crash resulted in the deaths of Linnea and Luke Soposki along with their infant son, Logan. Linnea Soposki was well-respected in her community as a veterinarian, recognized for her compassion and dedication to her patients. Following the tragic event, she was remembered fondly by her colleagues. Ngom is currently facing vehicular homicide charges, having been indicted on seven felonies by a Delaware County grand jury on April 16.
