Springfield, Ohio Resident Whose Beloved Mother-in-Law Was Recently Killed by an Immigrant from Haiti Speaks Out

UNKNOWN: “Everyone is talking about the death of ducks and cats in this town, but I’d like to talk about the death of one very special person, my mother-in-law, Kathy Heaton. On December 1st, I received a phone call that changed my life forever. She was collecting her trash can from her driveway when a car struck and killed her instantly. A task she had done over 2,000 times spanning four decades, in Springfield. That morning, though, a Haitian immigrant was allegedly driving recklessly when he struck and killed her. I say allegedly, because to this day there’s been no punishment, not even for the expired tags on the vehicle he was driving. Months before she was killed, I began noticing the reckless driving and complete disregard for our driving laws by some members of the Haitian community. It made me angry. But now my anger has turned to fear for the safety of my family and the citizens of Springfield. I’ve been to Haiti 14 years ago. My husband and I went, and it was my first time in a third-world country. I sobbed when I saw the poverty living there, and I have great empathy and compassion for them longing for a safe place to call home. But 14 years later, I’m living in fear in my own city. It’s not safe. I am paralyzed with anxiety when I’m getting my children out of the car in any parking lot, walking on any sidewalk, and driving on any road in this town. I’m haunted by the face faces I saw when I had to bear the news to my children and husband that she was dead. Their grandmother, the very person who tucked my seven-year-old twins into bed just six hours before, on her 71st birthday, was never coming back. What everyone has feared is my reality and it’s my grief, and it should be yours as well. It saddens me greatly to think about leaving a place I’ve made a home, raised my children, became an active member of this community by providing medical care to the underprivileged and underserved, volunteering, serving on boards and cheering for the success of this city. But just as the Haitians were seeking a safe place to call home, I now found myself in that same situation, wanting to abandon the city in all my efforts above and search for a safe place to raise my family. We need to change the laws for immigrants wanting to obtain a driver’s license in Ohio.”