Undocumented Immigrant With CT ‘Drive Only’ License Charged In Fatal Ohio Crash

An undocumented immigrant with a ‘drive only’ license issued by Connecticut is facing charges following a fatal motor vehicle accident in Ohio.

Following an Ohio man’s death, a U.S. Senator has written a letter to Gov. Ned Lamont about Connecticut’s practice of issuing these licenses.

In a letter dated Sept. 1, U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, said Washington G. Naula Ochoa was charged with vehicular homicide in Ohio.

According to Moreno, Ochoa ran a stop sign, causing a crash that claimed the life of a 29-year-old Ohio resident, Austin J. Karr Grimes.

According to his obituary, the Fayette, Ohio resident and father of two passed away on Aug. 29.

“I write to express outrage over this preventable loss of innocent life,” Moreno said, in the letter to Lamont. “If it were not for policy you championed, which allows illegal aliens to receive a ‘drive-only’ license, this young man may have reached his destination.”

“While one death alone is an inexcusable tragedy, Connecticut has granted over 60,000 such licenses to illegal aliens, putting countless Americans at risk on the roads. This insanity has to stop,” Moreno added.

Moreno wrote in the letter, “Quite simply, your policies are killing my constituents.”

Moreno urged Lamont to require anyone applying for a driver’s license to confirm their legal status. He also demanded Lamont apologize to the victim’s family.

Connecticut State Sen. Rob Sampson, R-16, echoed Moreno’s sentiments.

“An innocent 29-year-old American is dead. The man charged with killing him was reportedly in this country illegally, yet the State of Connecticut gave him a driver’s license,” Sampson said. “That should trouble every Connecticut resident.”

According to Sampson, about 61,000 drive-only licenses have been issued.

“I have opposed Connecticut’s drive-only license program since the day it was first proposed, debating against it repeatedly and introducing legislation year after year to repeal it,” Sampson said.

Sampson called for an end to the policy. He also asserted Lamont should answer Moreno’s questions, including: How many people without legal status have received these licenses? How many have subsequently been charged with crimes? How much has this policy cost Connecticut taxpayers? Have any recipients registered to vote or voted in an American election?

“Those are not radical questions. They are basic questions of government accountability,” Sampson said. “An American family has now suffered an irreversible loss. We cannot undo that tragedy, but we can stop pretending there are no consequences to policies that deliberately blur the line between legal and illegal.”

Lamont said his heart goes out to Karr Grimes’ family and friends, and to all families who lose a loved one to a motor vehicle accident.

“Drivers must be held accountable for violating traffic laws, especially when it causes a tragic loss of life,” Lamont said.

Meanwhile, Lamont defended Connecticut’s drive-only license program, asserting that it promotes safety.

“States including Connecticut offer drive-only licenses to undocumented residents to help ensure all drivers are trained, tested, and know the rules of the road,” Lamont said. “This reduces hit-and-run accidents and brings more drivers into the insurance system who might otherwise be driving uninsured. Undocumented residents in many states already need to drive for work, school, and daily life; it’s safer for everyone when that driving happens within a regulated system.”

Connecticut’s drive-only licenses are not valid for federal identification purposes and can’t be used to vote, according to the state’s website.