Attack Ad Links Ohio Crash to Immigration Policy: Fact-Check Finds No Direct Tie

In August 2026 the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) released a television ad, approved by the campaign of Ohio Republican Senate candidate Jon Husted, that portrayed the April 11, 2026 semi-truck crash in Delaware County, Ohio, as a consequence of former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown’s immigration stance.

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The crash involved a semi-truck driven by Modou Ngom, who collided with a pickup, igniting a nine-car pile-up that killed Luke Soposki, Lynnea Soposki and their 1-year-old son Logan. Ngom faces multiple counts of aggravated vehicular homicide and vehicular assault. Ohio authorities say Ngom entered the United States in the 1990s and later used alternate names and dates of birth to obtain an Ohio driver’s license (2003), a commercial license (2007) and citizenship in the mid-2010s.

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• Victims: three (Luke Soposki, 37; Lynnea Soposki, 36; son Logan, 1).

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• Charges: aggravated vehicular homicide and vehicular assault.

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• Identity fraud: use of alternate names to obtain state identification and citizenship.

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• Ohio Department of Public Safety (DPS): An April 23 statement said Ngom “appears” to have used multiple names and dates of birth to obtain identification and that the agency has forwarded its findings to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

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• NRSC spokesperson: Linked Brown to Ngom by citing Brown’s votes on immigration legislation, claiming Brown supported “open border policies” that protect illegal aliens like Ngom.

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• Brown campaign: Highlighted Brown’s 2024 vote for a border-security bill and recent remarks supporting stronger immigration enforcement while warning against mass deportations that disrupt families.

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• Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH): Sent an April 28 letter to the secretaries of Transportation and Homeland Security requesting an investigation into Ngom’s entry point and any fraudulent immigration documents.

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Relatives of the Soposki family expressed outrage that their tragedy was used for political gain and noted that the photograph in the ad was taken by a friend who did not consent to its political use.

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• Link between Brown’s votes and Ngom’s presence: Fact-check analysis shows Brown’s cited votes either predate Ngom’s U.S. entry (1990s) or pertain to legislation that did not become law, making any causal connection unsubstantiated.

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• Details of Ngom’s immigration path: DPS statements acknowledge uncertainty about the exact port of entry and whether fraudulent documents were used, leaving a factual gap about how Ngom entered the country.

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• Impact of cited legislation: Several immigration bills referenced by the NRSC either failed to pass or were amended, further weakening the claim that Brown’s record directly enabled Ngom’s actions.

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• “State records show he changed his name back to Modou Ngom in 2015.” — Ohio DPS

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The ad demonstrates how Senate races can invoke personal tragedies to frame policy debates. The fact-check underscores the need to scrutinize political advertising for factual accuracy when it leverages emotionally charged events to influence voter perception.

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