State investigators say the Columbus semitruck driver arrested after a deadly pileup on I-71 earlier this month had more than one name on file, using multiple identities to secure U.S. and Ohio identification. The state has now passed what it found to federal immigration officials. The driver, 50-year-old Modou Ngom, remains in jail on felony charges tied to the crash that killed three members of a local family. Authorities say the identity review has been running alongside the broader criminal investigation into the work zone wreck.
State Hands File To ICE
Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Andy Wilson said in a prepared statement that the agency is turning over information it uncovered about Ngom to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and has notified both federal and local prosecutors, according to The Columbus Dispatch. Ngom pleaded not guilty at an April 21 hearing and is being held in the Delaware County Jail on felony counts connected to the nine-vehicle pileup. Officials told reporters the referral followed a routine records check that raised questions about how he obtained his identification documents.
Investigators Flag Conflicting Records
The same statement said that “The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles and Ohio State Highway Patrol uncovered conflicting information related to his identity in state and federal records,” according to The Columbus Dispatch. Investigators found multiple names and credential entries dating back to the 2000s, the outlet reported.
Work Zone Crash Kills Family Of Three
Authorities say the collision unfolded on a Saturday when Ngom’s 2006 Freightliner failed to slow as traffic backed up in a construction zone on northbound I-71 near the U.S. 36/State Route 37 interchange, triggering a nine-vehicle chain reaction and a fire that killed Lynnea and Luke Soposki and their 1-year-old son, according to WOSU. Several other people were treated at local hospitals for injuries that troopers described as non-life-threatening.
State and transportation officials later released traffic-camera footage capturing the moments before impact, which investigators have been reviewing as part of the case, WHIO reported.
Court Sets High Bond
A magistrate set Ngom’s bond at $500,000 and ordered that he not drive if he posts bail, according to court records cited by WLWT. Prosecutors say they are still reviewing crash reports, video, and witness statements, and have left the door open for additional legal action.
Identity Probe Reaches Back Decades
After the crash, state investigators and the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles began combing through Ngom’s records and uncovered multiple names and inconsistent entries while checking state and federal databases, 10TV reported. Officials told reporters the review stretched back into the 2000s and included state credential histories that raised red flags.
Criminal Case And Immigration Review On Separate Tracks
The referral to ICE sets up a parallel track for the case: any immigration or identity fraud findings would be handled at the federal level while Delaware County prosecutors continue pursuing state criminal charges tied to the crash. Those processes are separate, and any civil or administrative immigration action would not replace the local criminal case.
What Comes Next
Investigators say they are still analyzing camera footage and records, and prosecutors have not ruled out adding charges as more evidence comes in, according to public filings and local reporting. Officials have asked anyone with video or information from the scene to contact investigators as the case moves toward additional hearings.
