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Haitian influx causing one major safety concern among Springfield residents

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - Residents of an Ohio town that has taken in thousands of migrants in just a few years expressed concerns for their safety, especially when driving on the city’s more crowded roads.

"They hit my kid’s fence," a Springfield resident named Mike O’Brien told Fox News Digital. "They backed into my kids fence, it cost us $400 to get fixed… they can’t drive. It’s just really, really outrageous, it’s inexplicable… every day I get up, and I feel less secure in my own little community that I was born in."

Springfield, Ohio, resident Mike O'Brien (Fox News/Michael Lee)

Those concerns were shared by former Republican State Rep. Kyle Koehler, who told Fox News Digital the situation on Springfield’s roads has become a growing problem.

"We do have a really abnormal number of car accidents that are happening," said Koehler, who is now running to represent the area in the state Senate. "And it’s not only the number, but the severity of them. When you go on a street that is a 35-mile-an-hour speed limit and there’s a car sitting on its hood, and I’m not talking about one, I’m talking about five or six accidents a week like that, you begin to wonder."

People watch as police officers investigate Springfield City Hall after bomb threats were made earlier in the day in Springfield, Ohio, on Sept. 12, 2024. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)

However, according to O’Brien, road safety is not the only concern among local residents, noting that the large influx of people in such a short amount of time has put strain on the city.

"I don’t discriminate against anybody, so I don’t care if they drop 20,000 Mexicans here, 20,000 Irishmen in here, it’s too much," he said. "People right here in this town, they’re tired of it, they’re really tired of it."

Meanwhile, other residents indicated that they welcomed the newcomers to the town, arguing that it was an opportunity for them to pursue a better life.

Springfield, Ohio, resident Ruth Lee (Fox News/Michael Lee)

"I feel sad for them because of where they came from, and this is a greater opportunity for them," Ruth Lee, a nine-year resident of Springfield, told Fox News Digital.

While Lee acknowledged that a lot of city services may be overwhelmed as they adjust to the influx, there is also an opportunity for residents to improve the lives of their new neighbors.

"I want to reach out to them and let them know that they’re a human being and that they’re welcome," Lee said.