Michigan Pastor Stephen Singleton lost his life on November 3 at around 6.45 am, while on his morning walk. Clad in a reflective vest, an alleged illegal immigrant crashed into him in Rochester Hills, Detroit, leaving him with severe injuries. His family has since launched a GoFundMe to cover his medical, funeral, and other living expenses.
The initiative has since raised over $6,000, with donations coming in from over 100 people. As mentioned on the page, the driver blew through a stop sign and towed Stephen Singleton down, breaking "almost all his bones." He also had to undergo extensive surgery to treat the damage to his brain and organs but was ultimately declared brain dead and taken off life support.
Stephen Singleton's wife says the alleged criminal walking around free is "bothering her"
Reportedly, the driver in question is a 28-year-old man from Columbia, living in the States illegally. He is currently free, pending trial. At the time of the incident, he was in a 2013 Ford Focus, and while the GoFundMe page asserts that he did not have a license, he had a valid foreign DL, the New York Post has revealed. The Oakland County Prosecutor's Office is currently looking into the case.
Stephen Singleton's wife, Teri, said in a statement to Fox 2 Detroit:
"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. He’s dead and they’re walking around. That’s bothering me,” she added, echoing the grief and disbelief felt by her family.
She went on:
"He had almost every bone in his body broken. He had his collarbone fractured, internal organ damage, and his skull was cracked. He had two craniotomies in the hospital.”
Per Christian Post, investigators have ruled out speed and inebriation as a causal factor of the collision. Michigan state law permits non-citizens to drive with a valid foreign license so long as it is in English or has an attached translation.
Stephen Singleton's granddaughter, Allie, has launched the initiative, and in a lengthy statement, she reflected on her "Papi's" life and personality. She noted that Singleton, a pastor for the Archdiocese of Detroit for over 50 years, was a kind man who spent his life helping others.
"He never met a stranger, was a friend to everyone and made lifelong friendships. 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.”
Her statement went on:
"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.”
Stephen Singleton volunteered to help with several national disasters, including Hurricane Katrina, and at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks, where he tended to the injured victims. He also volunteered following a tornado in Alabama and sponsored a 5k Run to raise money for The African American History Museum in Detroit.
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As mentioned on the GoFundMe page, Teri Singleton is partially disabled, and given that she and her husband were on a fixed income, she was dependent on her late husband financially and otherwise. The initiative was launched, in part, to support Teri. However, only 6% has been raised out of the $100,000 goal.
Per the GoFundMe, Stephen Singleton was survived by fifteen brothers and sisters, several adopted siblings, four children, one daughter-in-law, sixteen grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. He also leaves behind his wife of fifty-three years, Teri.
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