Famed pastor dead after illegal immigrant allegedly runs red light, strikes him in crosswalk
A distinguished Detroit-area pastor has died after an illegal immigrant from Colombia allegedly struck him with a car while he was out for a run on the morning of Nov. 3.
Pastor Stephen Singleton's family said on a GoFundMe page for the 72-year-old pastor that he was "out on his usual daily run," wearing a reflective vest when he crossed the street on a crosswalk and "was hit by a man who ran through a red light."
"This man was not legally in the country and possessed no license," Singleton's family wrote. "[Singleton] was struck so hard that he was thrown on the windshield, breaking it. The car was damaged and had to be towed. He spoke the last words he would ever speak. He asked for my grandmother. Almost all his bones were broken. He had organ and brain damage and required extensive surgeries. The doctor placed him on life support. On November 8, 2024, he was declared brain dead and taken off support."
The Oakland County Sheriff's Office on Nov. 3 confirmed in a press release that a 28-year-old Colombian national driving a 2013 Ford Focus allegedly hit the 72-year-old man while the victim was crossing Rochester Road in Rochester Hills, a suburb of Detroit. Authorities also confirmed that Singleton was wearing a reflective vest and crossing the street at a designated cross-walk when he died.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed that the driver entered the U.S. illegally and was released pending a future hearing.
The driver had a valid foreign driver's license, which is a valid form of ID in Michigan, according to FOX 2 Detroit.
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"I had to sit and watch my husband of 53 years die in front of me, and then to know that the person who did this is walking around is very difficult to deal with," Teri Singleton, Stephen's wife, told FOX 2 Detroit.
Singleton's family described the pastor as a loving family man with a passion for helping others and staying active. He had 15 brothers and sisters and had been married to "the love of his life" for 53 years, his family wrote on GoFundMe.
"He never met a stranger, was a friend to everyone and made lifelong friendships," they wrote. "His motto was everyone was his brother or sister and sharing support, wisdom and the love of the Lord was his responsibility. He was a father to the fatherless, as well as all his nieces and nephews and every child in all the neighborhoods he frequented. All our family activities and outings included every child that could fit in his van."
He ran "hundreds" of marathons over the course of his life, biked 200 miles every year for charity, and taught and played various other sports.
"His real passion was just pure love for his fellow man," the GoFundMe page reads. "Besides his family one of his greatest joys was to help. He touched many lives and gave freely to everyone. As a Pastoral Minister for the Archdiocese of Detroit for the last 52 years, he officiated over hundreds of funerals for people. Helping families who couldn't afford to pay for a funeral, receive a dignified service. Due to his determination to make a difference, he regularly fed the homeless and would give the clothes off his back to help anyone in need. When there was a disaster, he would immediately go to help."
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Singleton dedicated much of his life to helping others, his family said. One of his most significant volunteer trips was with a search and rescue team after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks on the World Trade Center.
The pastor's family is seeking donations to cover Singleton's funeral costs and living expenses for his wife, who is partially disabled and depended on Singleton "for day-to-day care," the GoFundMe says.
No arrests had been made in the case as of Monday. Authorities presented the case to the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office on Friday, which is reviewing the case and will determine whether any charges will be filed against the driver.