Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, is demanding answers from Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont after an Ohio man was killed in a car crash allegedly caused by an immigrant who was in the country illegally and who, according to Moreno, obtained a driver's license under Connecticut policy.
Moreno said on social media that his office learned the driver, identified as Washington Guillermo Naula-Ochoa, 34, an Ecuadoran national, had been granted a license by Connecticut despite his immigration status. The senator called the crash an “inexcusable tragedy” and pressed Lamont to account for how many such licenses have been issued and whether recipients have used them to vote in U.S. elections.
The crash occurred Aug. 29 in Fulton County, Ohio. According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Naula-Ochoa was driving a 2024 Ram 3500 westbound when he failed to yield at a stop sign and entered the intersection of State Route 66. His truck 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. His booking record at the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio shows an immigration detainer lodged by federal authorities. He is listed as homeless.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed the detainer, saying, “The safest way to arrest and remove criminal illegal aliens from our streets is by lodging arrest detainers.” The spokesperson added that seven of the ten safest cities in the United States cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Moreno sent a letter to Lamont tying the crash to Connecticut's drive-only license program, which allows individuals who cannot establish legal presence in the United States or provide a Social Security number to obtain a license for driving purposes. “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 Lamont's 2024 proposal to remove the “drive-only” marking from the licenses, arguing the change would make them difficult to distinguish from other non-REAL ID licenses. Lamont's office said at the time 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. He wrote, “Quite simply, your policies are killing my constituents,” and added, “You should be ashamed of this policy and its dangerous consequences, yet your support for illegal aliens knows no bounds.”
In a statement, Lamont expressed condolences to Grimes' family and defended the drive-only license program. “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.”
Moreno responded on social media, 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!” He accused Democratic politicians of seeking “a crop of dependent and obedient voters.”
The dispute reflects a broader federal push against state laws that allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses. The Justice Department sued New York in 2025 over its “Green Light Law,” which allows such licenses while restricting the state from sharing Department of Motor Vehicles information with federal immigration authorities. The administration has also expanded ICE enforcement against criminal immigrants.