Haitian student Pierre Damas Bel dies after stepping into traffic on Ohio interstate

A promising life cut short

Pierre Damas Bel, a 20-year-old student at Wright State University, died on Aug. 31 after stepping into oncoming traffic on Interstate 70 in Clark County, Ohio, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. The patrol said Bel left his Toyota on the right shoulder of the interstate and entered the westbound lanes, where he was struck by a semi-trailer truck and died at the scene.

Bel, a Haitian immigrant, had been living in Springfield, Ohio, where he had moved in 2024 to play high school soccer. He had come to the United States in 2023 and settled in Columbus before relocating to Springfield. Bel was an honor roll student at Springfield High School, active in the Junior Reserve Officer's Training Corps (JROTC), and had been recruited to play soccer at Wittenberg University. He began studying at Wright State University in August, planning to major in neuroscience, and worked at a Texas Roadhouse restaurant.

His family described him as the oldest of three sons with a bright future. In May, the Springfield City School District featured Bel in a Facebook post highlighting local scholarship recipients, showing him in a blue suit and bow tie, smiling as he accepted his award.

The ankle monitor and the final phone call

Bel had been wearing an ankle monitor since July 29 as part of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) "alternatives to detention" program. According to his family, he had lost Temporary Protected Status (TPS) at the end of July following a Supreme Court decision. A senior Department of Homeland Security official said ankle monitors are used because there is not enough detention space for over 300,000 Haitians who lost TPS.

Bel's family said he faced bullying because of the monitor. His father, Pierre Ronal Bel, read a statement saying his son felt "humiliated" wearing the bracelet during JROTC activities.

On the morning of his death, Bel called his father around 8 , saying, "I'm not feeling OK. I'm not thinking right because of the bullies." His father told him to come home so they could talk. Around 11 , police arrived at the father's door to report that Bel had thrown himself under a truck.

Family and advocates demand answers

Bel's family and advocates say he died by suicide, and they blame the humiliation from the ankle monitor and broader immigration policies. Pastor Carl Ruby, a leading advocate for Springfield's Haitian community, said the family wants proof that Bel died by suicide, in part to highlight the harm of ankle monitors.

"Pierre died as a result of policy," Ruby said. "It's our immigration policy that took his life."

Advocates have launched an "Unshackle Springfield" campaign, with 20 religious leaders and a march planned. Viles Dorsainvil, executive director of the Haitian Support Center, said, "Shut down this program of shackling the community." Dorsainvil estimated that 34 people have been detained since TPS ended.

A vigil for Bel was planned for Sept. 2 at Columbus City Hall.

Bel's parents requested to see the ankle monitor, but the request was not granted; the government removed it before his body was received.

Official responses

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine called Bel's death a "horrible, horrible tragedy." Wright State University officials called it a "devastating loss."

ICE said in a statement that the circumstances of Bel's death remain under investigation and declined to speculate. The agency repeated that immigrants without legal status should self-deport, stating, "No one is required to stay in the United States illegally and wear a monitor."

Broader context

Springfield became the focus of "salacious and unfounded rumors" about Haitian immigrants during the 2024 election, NBC News reported. The city's Haitian population has grown significantly in recent years, and community leaders have expressed concern about the impact of immigration enforcement actions on residents.

Bel's death is believed to be the first in Springfield related to immigration enforcement, according to advocates cited by NBC News.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol continues to investigate the circumstances of the incident.