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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.
"My safety," one Springfield resident told Fox News Digital when asked what concerns her most about the flow of migrants into the town. "I walk a dog, I approach these Haitians with a smile, I never get a smile back. I just don’t understand it."
The comments come as longtime residents of Springfield, Ohio, have grappled with a new reality in recent years, with the town taking in thousands of Haitian migrants since 2021. According to the city's website, the total number of immigrants in Clark County, of which Springfield is the county seat, is between 12,000 and 15,000. The influx of people to the town, which the 2020 census showed had a population of just around 60,000, has caused tension in the town, locals told Fox News Digital, especially on the 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."
Complaints about road safety were perhaps the chief concern of longtime residents, who recounted many stories of accidents they had witnessed over the last few years.
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."
Concerns over road safety hit a tipping point in August of last year, when a minivan driven by a Haitian migrant collided with a school bus carrying dozens of local students. Over 20 children were injured in the crash, while one, 11-year-old Aiden Clark, was killed.
SPRINGFIELD PASTORS SPEAK OUT ON HAITIAN REFUGEE CHALLENGES: 'THE SUFFERING IS REAL'
Since the accident, concerned residents have become increasingly vocal, including taking their concerns to multiple city meetings.
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.
"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.
Get the latest updates on the ongoing border crisis from the Fox News Digital immigration hub.
