Diaspora News of Saturday, 3 March 2007

Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Ghana immigrant still jailed in crash that killed diplomat

GREENSBURG, Pa. A truck driver who immigrated from Ghana is still in the Westmoreland County Prison for charges stemming from a crash that killed a Honduran diplomat last month.

The attorney for 32-year-old Sam P. Thompson of Maryland, says he's not an illegal immigrant and asked a district judge to lower his bond from 100-thousand dollars.

But the judge says he can't do that because state police and county prosecutors were told the man is an illegal alien -- and federal immigration officials have not provided information to the contrary.

Thompson has been jailed since February eighth.

That's when state police say the diplomat, 31-year-old Nuria Ortiz Navarro, was killed when the car she was riding in was hit by Thompson's rig. He's charged with homicide by vehicle and some traffic citations.