The family of Pennsylvania State Trooper Michael Pahira Jr. has filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit against the Massachusetts truck driver charged in his death and two companies involved in the load he was hauling, alleging negligence and failures to follow safety regulations.
Morgan & Morgan announced the suit on behalf of the Pahira family against Augustin Freight Services LLC, a commercial motor carrier, and SNK Logistics LLC, a freight broker. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, claims the defendants’ alleged negligence, reckless disregard for federal safety regulations, and failure to properly vet and supervise drivers led to the death of Trooper Pahira, a nearly 20-year veteran who served as a motor carrier enforcement inspector.
On the morning of July 1st, Trooper Pahira was conducting a routine commercial vehicle inspection on the shoulder of Interstate 81 in Schuylkill County with his emergency lights activated and his vehicle clear of the roadway. A tractor-trailer operated by Augustin Freight Services driver Michael Bon and hauling a load brokered by SNK Logistics allegedly left its lane, struck Pahira’s patrol vehicle, then slammed into the commercial vehicle he was inspecting. Pahira was pinned beneath the burning cab. Bystanders pulled him from the flames, but he later died of his injuries.
The lawsuit highlights the carrier’s safety record, noting that Augustin Freight Services, described as having only four drivers, had a vehicle out-of-service rate of 40%—nearly double the national average—along with multiple unsafe driving and maintenance violations in the years before the crash. That information was publicly available through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Safety Measurement System, yet SNK Logistics allegedly hired the carrier anyway. Attorneys for the family said the case underscores broader concerns about safety practices in the trucking industry.
Separately, Bon, a Haitian national who had been living in Brockton, faces criminal charges including homicide by vehicle and involuntary manslaughter in Schuylkill County Court. He is being held on $700,000 bail.
The Department of Homeland Security has also lodged an immigration detainer against him. Federal authorities have said Bon entered the United States under a parole program in 2024, later received a notice terminating that status, and remained in the country. Massachusetts issued him a commercial driver’s license. His attorney has disputed characterizations of his immigration status and has indicated a possible medical defense related to a history of seizures.
The criminal case is currently in the “Awaiting Filing of Information” status in Pennsylvania state court, while the civil lawsuit seeks to hold the driver, carrier, and broker accountable for the circumstances of the July 1st crash.
