The father of an 11-year-old boy killed in a road crash has attacked politicians, including Donald Trump, for exploiting his son’s death for political gain.
Aiden Clark from Springfield, Ohio, was killed in August last year when a vehicle driven by a Haitian immigrant struck his school bus.
His father has spoken out after Mr Trump discussed Haitian immigrants in the city during his debate with Democratic vice president Kamala Harris.
The presidential hopeful said in the first head to head with his opponent: “In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats… of the people that live there”.
State officials said they have received no credible reports of anybody eating household animals.
During a city commission meeting on Tuesday in Springfield, Nathan Clark said politicians have “used [Aiden’s] death for political gain” adding “this needs to stop now”.
“They can vomit all the hate they want about illegal immigrants, the border crisis and even untrue claims about fluffy pets being ravaged and eaten by community members. However they are not allowed, nor have they ever been allowed, to mention Aiden Clark from Springfield, Ohio,” he said.
Tensions have increased in Springfield since a Haitian driving without an Ohio license struck a school bus in 2023, killing Aiden and injuring 26 other children.
Mr Trump’s running mate, US Senator JD Vance of Ohio, helped fuel the criticism by alluding to Aiden’s death.
In a message on X, referencing issues with immigrants in Springfield, he said “a child was murdered by a Haitian migrant who had no right to be here”.
Aiden Clark, 11, died when his school bus was struck by a minivan driven by Haitian immigrant Hermanio Joseph in August 2023. File pic: AP
Family members are reunited with their children following the crash. File pic: AP
Mr Clark responded directly to the false claim, saying his son was “not murdered” but “was accidentally killed”.
“One of the worst feelings in the world is to not be able to protect your child, even worse, we can’t even protect his memory when he’s gone. Please stop the hate,” he said.
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The small city of Springfield has seen thousands of recent Haitian arrivals which have boosted the local economy but also strained local resources.
The Haitian Times reported some Haitian families in the area were keeping their children home from school, while other sources told the newspaper they were subject to bullying, assaults and intimidation in front of their homes because of the racist rhetoric amplified by social media.
Springfield officials say the majority of Haitian migrants are in the country legally, drawn by jobs at warehouses and
factories.
In May, a jury found Hermanio Joseph guilty of involuntary manslaughter and vehicular homicide after his minivan crashed into the school bus last August. A judge sentenced him to between nine and 13 years in prison.