Aiden Clark’s father said he doesn’t want his son’s death to be used for political gain
[In the player above, watch previous coverage from FOX 8 sister station 2 NEWS.]
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (WJW) — The bereaved father of an 11-year-old boy, who was killed in a crash involving his school bus and a car reportedly driven by a Haitian immigrant, said he doesn’t want his son’s memory to be used for political gain.
Aiden Clark’s death in August 2023 has become one backdrop for growing local concern about the burden an influx of Haitian immigrants is having on the region’s public safety as well as its health care and school systems. About 15,000 Haitians have immigrated there since 2020, back when the city had about 58,000 residents, FOX 8 News reported.
Springfield residents react after claims about Haitian migrants put town in spotlight
Aiden’s father Nathan Clark appeared before the Springfield City Commission on Tuesday to address what he perceives as “hate” directed toward the growing immigrant community, wrapped as grievance for his son’s death. Read his remarks in full:
I wish that my son Aiden Clark was killed by a 60-year-old white man.
I bet you never thought anyone would say something so blunt. But if that guy killed my 11-year-old son, the incessant group of hate-spewing people would leave us alone. The last thing we need is the worst day of our lives violently and constantly shoved in our faces.
But even that’s not good enough for them. They take it one step further. They make it seem like our wonderful Aiden appreciates all your hate; that we should follow your hate. And look what it’s done to us. We have to get up here and beg them to stop. Using Aiden as a political tool is, to say the least, reprehensible for any political purpose.
Speaking of morally bankrupt, politicians [Republican U.S. Senate candidate] Bernie Moreno, [Republican U.S. Rep.] Chip Roy, [Republican vice-presidential candidate] JD Vance and [former Republican president] Donald Trump — they have spoken my son’s name and used his death for political gain. 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. I will listen to them one more time to hear their apologies.
To clear the air, my son Aiden Clark was not murdered. He was accidentally killed by an immigrant from Haiti. This tragedy is felt all over this community, this state and even the nation — but don’t spin this towards hate. In order to live like Aiden, you need to accept everyone, choose to shine, make the difference, lead the way and be the inspiration.
What many people in this community and state and nation are doing is the opposite of what we should be doing. Sure, we have our problems here in Springfield and in the U.S., but does Aiden Clark have anything to do with that?
Did you know an 11-year-old boy could be passionate about gardening? That he could haggle for a better price at a yard sale? Did you know that he researched different cultures to better appreciate and understand people that he interacted with?
Did you know that one of the worst feelings in the world is not being able to protect your child? Even worse, we can’t protect his memory when he’s gone.
Please stop the hate. I said to Aiden that I would try to make a difference in his honor. This is it. Live like Aiden.
Nathan Clark of Springfield
What we know about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio
The man who killed Aiden Clark is 36-year-old Hermanio Joseph. It happened on the first day of school in 2023 on state Route 41, reported FOX 8 sister station NBC4. Joseph’s vehicle reportedly went left-of-center, forcing the school bus driver to swerve onto the shoulder. The vehicles collided and the bus went off the road and down into an embankment, overturning.
Aiden was killed when he was ejected from the bus, authorities said. Another 26 students were hospitalized, one with serious injuries and others with non-life-threatening injuries, NBC4 reported.
In May 2024, Joseph was convicted by jury of involuntary manslaughter and vehicular homicide and sentenced to between nine and 13 1/2 years in prison, Clark County court records show. A motion to stay his sentence pending an appeal was overruled.
Nathan’s remarks on Tuesday also denounced recent baseless claims circulating online that claim Haitian immigrants are killing and eating residents’ pets. That rumor has since been debunked by local authorities. Regardless, former Republican president Trump, in a debate later that night with Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, refocused the rumor as an attack on Harris’ record on border security.
“There have not been any credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the migrant community,” Springfield Mayor Rob Rue said at the start of the commission’s Tuesday meeting. “Additionally, there have been no verified incidents of immigrants engaging in illegal activity such as squatting or littering in front of residents’ homes.
“Rumors like these are taking away from the real issues, such as housing concerns, resources needed for our schools and our overwhelmed health care system,” he said later.
Governor DeWine directs money, resources to healthcare and public safety in Springfield
In response to concerns over the influx of migrants in Springfield — which is about 25 miles north of Dayton — Gov. Mike DeWine on Tuesday announced he is directing state money and resources to alleviate the burden, including $2.5 million to expand primary care access to everyone in the town.
The state has already established a school-based clinic, given funds to the county for translation services and to Clark State College to teach English to immigrants and provided driving simulators and driver education classes targeted at the Haitian community, according to a Tuesday news release.
“The federal government needs to assist these communities with funding because these dramatic migrant surges impact every citizen in the community — the moms who have to wait hours in a waiting room with a sick child, everyone who drives on our streets, and the children who go to school in more crowded classrooms,” said DeWine. “The federal government does not have a plan to give any support to the communities impacted by surges, and we have absolutely no indication that a plan is coming in the near future.”
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