The Ohio State Highway Patrol Springfield Post received a call at 8:45 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 31 that Pierre Damas Bel was struck and killed by a semi-truck on Interstate 70, east of Springfield, in an apparent suicide.
Bel was a first-year student at WSU with plans to study Physiology and Neuroscience, after graduating with Honors from Springfield High School. He moved to Springfield, Ohio in 2024 to be with family and pursue his education.
Springfield has a significant Haitian immigrant population due to having Temporary Protected Status, which was terminated on July 27. Bel, as well as many other Haitian immigrants, was required to wear GPS tracking monitors by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after being brought in for in-person check-ins.
Sue Edwards, President of WSU, issued a statement addressing Bel’s death.
“We are heartbroken by this devastating loss. Pierre was an active honors student who was passionate about soccer and was already actively engaged in his classes and the campus community. The University mourns the death of Pierre and extends our deepest condolences to his family, friends and loved ones during this unimaginably difficult time,” Edwards said.
According to the Springfield News-Sun, Bel’s death came “after being teased by fellow students at WSU about his ankle monitor.”
Bel posted on social media in July, after the monitor was placed, about how it made him feel and the concerns he had about it going into the new school year at WSU.
“I came to this country to pursue my education. I didn’t come here to commit a crime or hurt anyone. Yet now I’m walking through the streets of the United States with a GPS monitor on my leg, carrying a feeling of shame and humiliation that I never imagined I would experience,” Bel posted. “I came here to study, to build my future and to live a better life, not to be treated like a criminal. So now, how am I supposed to play college sports with a GPS monitor on my leg?”
Bel was on the high school varsity soccer team at Springfield High School and had plans to join the WSU team. He shared photos on social media from the first week of classes, voicing excitement about the upcoming school year.
Mike DeWine, the Governor of Ohio, spoke to reporters at the Ohio Statehouse who asked him about the crash.
“I’m told by those who knew him, he had great dreams about what he could do in this country and what he could contribute to this country. I think we have to ask ourselves, ‘Is it really good, is it what we want done to see people like this being picked up and facing deportation?’” DeWine said.
For anyone struggling with thoughts of suicide or anyone who needs support, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline anytime, 24/7, or visit 988Lifeline.org.
