Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, is demanding answers from Connecticut’s Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont after an Ohio man was killed in a car crash by an illegal immigrant who Moreno says was granted a driver’s license by the blue state governor’s policy.
“My office has learned that an illegal alien granted a drivers license by the state of Connecticut killed a 29 year old Ohioan in a reckless driving accident,” Moreno posted on X on Tuesday night. “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 also called on Lamont to “immediately apologize for his state’s role in this tragedy while also account for exactly how many illegals have been given Connecticut drivers’ licenses and whether or not they have used them to vote in U.S. elections.”
Washington Guillermo Naula-Ochoa, 34, was driving a 2024 Ram 3500 westbound in Fulton County, Ohio on Aug. 29 when he allegedly failed to yield at a stop sign and pulled into the intersection of State Route 66, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Naula-Ochoa’s car then struck a 1993 GMC Suburban driven by Austin J. Karr Grimes, 29, of Fayette, Ohio. Grimes lost control, went partially off the roadway and overturned. He suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Two passengers in Naula-Ochoa’s truck were uninjured, while two passengers in Grimes’ vehicle suffered minor injuries. Naula-Ochoa was charged with vehicular manslaughter and failing to yield at a stop sign.
Naula-Ochoa’s booking record at the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio (CCNO) shows an immigration detainer lodged against him by federal authorities. Additionally, Naula-Ochoa is listed as “homeless.”
“The safest way to arrest and remove criminal illegal aliens from our streets is by lodging arrest detainers,” a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital, confirming the ICE detainer was placed on Naula-Ochoa, an Ecuadoran national. “7 of the top 10 safest cities in the United States cooperate with ICE. Our message is clear: if you come into our country illegally and break our laws, we will find you, we will arrest you, and we will deport you.”
Moreno’s X post was accompanied by a letter sent to Lamont tying him to the Connecticut program that allows for illegal immigrants to be licensed on the road.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SUSPECT CHARGED IN CRASH THAT KILLED POLICE OFFICER AND HIS GIRLFRIEND
“Despite his lack of legal status, Connecticut issued him a driver’s license,” Moreno wrote. “Horrifyingly, Connecticut not only permits illegal aliens to receive a driver’s license, but encourages it, all while Americans pay the ultimate price.”
Moreno’s letter criticized Connecticut’s drive-only license program, backed by Lamont, which allows certain individuals who cannot establish legal presence in the United States or provide a Social Security number to obtain a license for driving purposes.
“Quite simply, your policies are killing my constituents,” Moreno wrote to Lamont, adding, “You should be ashamed of this policy and its dangerous consequences, yet your support for illegal aliens knows no bounds.”
Moreno also criticized Lamont’s 2024 proposal to remove the “drive-only” marking from the licenses, arguing that the change would make them difficult to distinguish from other non-REAL ID licenses. Lamont’s office said at the time that the change was intended to protect Connecticut residents from discrimination in other states.
Moreno asked Lamont to provide the number of drive-only licenses issued to people who are unlawfully present, how many recipients have committed crimes, how many registered or voted, and how much the program has cost taxpayers.
“I strongly suggest that you consider joining the vast majority of states that have adopted this common-sense requirement before another American citizen becomes the victim of vehicular manslaughter or is gravely injured by an illegal alien,” Moreno wrote.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Lamont said his “heart goes out to the family and friends of Austin J. Karr Grimes, 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. “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. 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.”
Moreno responded on X on Thursday, saying, “The answer to the presence of illegal aliens is NOT to ‘train them’ and allow them on our roads to wreak havoc. The answer is to DEPORT them! Of course, Democrat politicians know this, but need a crop of dependent and obedient voters to keep them in power.”
The question of illegal immigrants driving on American roads has become a Trump administration priority, with federal officials arguing that state-issued licenses can make it harder to identify and locate people in the country illegally.
The Justice Department sued New York in 2025 over its “Green Light Law,” which allows illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses while restricting the state from sharing DMV information with federal immigration authorities. The administration has also expanded ICE enforcement against criminal illegal immigrants, arguing that local arrests should trigger federal immigration action.
Mehek Cooke, a GOP strategist and attorney in Ohio, told Fox News Digital, “What is especially infuriating is that Connecticut Democrats get to congratulate themselves for being compassionate, while an Ohio family is left grieving the loss of 29-year-old Austin Karr Grimes.”
“Connecticut made the policy choice, but Americans hundreds of miles away paid the price.” Cooke said. “There is nothing compassionate about a policy that puts the interests of illegal immigrants ahead of the lives and safety of American citizens.”
