Beloved Detroit pastor, Stephen Singleton, 72, was struck by an undocumented immigrant on Sunday, November 3, according to local police. Reportedly, he suffered from broken bones and serious organ and brain damage. Five days afterward, he was declared brain dead and was taken off life support.
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Singleton attempted to cross a marked crosswalk while wearing a reflective vest in Rochester Hills. Tragically, at around 6:45 a.m., a 28-year-old undocumented Colombian national struck him, leaving him severely injured after impacting the windshield. A GoFundMe campaign stated that he needed "extensive surgeries" due to organ and brain damage. He was placed on life support and then taken off it on November 8 after he was declared brain dead.
According to the Daily Mail and Fox 2, while the 28-year-old did have a Colombian driver's license, he had entered the United States illegally.
SIngelton's family, especially his wife, were heartbroken after Stephen's passing. "I had to sit and watch my husband of 53 years die in front of me," Teri Singleton, Stephen's wife said. "To know that the person who did this is walking around is very difficult to deal with."
"He had almost every bone in his body broken," Singleton continued. "He had his collarbone fractured, internal organ damage, and his skull was cracked." She went on to express she felt bothered by illegal immigration and its consequences. Stephen's daughter, Ruth, stated that she refused to be angry. "I will still love like my Dad taught me to", Ruth said.
A Man Of God
Despite their incredible loss, Stephen's family remembers him as an amazing man who strived to help others. "He was a loving person who cared about everybody," Teri Singleton said. "I mean, the whole neighborhood, everybody in our community has come to my door. They didn't even see the name on the report, but they knew him because of his habits."
Pastor Singleton's family remembered how he traveled to New York City after the 9/11 attacks to help injured victims. He joined other religious leaders in prayer at such a difficult time. "After everybody had prayed, he started saying the Lord's Prayer, and he said it with a whisper, he said it with a shout, he said it with a sing, and then he said it with so much passion that it brought me to tears," Stephen Singleton said at the time. "I wanted to save somebody. That's-bottomline."
The 28-year-old immigrant was released from prison and is waiting for a future court federal court date.
