Driver fleeing ICE officers crashes, killing a Georgia teacher, authorities say
SAVANNAH, Georgia — A Guatemalan driver fleeing a traffic stop in Georgia by federal immigration agents crashed into another vehicle, killing a teacher who was heading to work, authorities and school officials said.
Oscar Vasquez Lopez, the driver accused of causing Monday’s crash just outside Savannah, remained jailed Tuesday on charges of vehicular homicide, reckless driving and driving without a valid license. Lopez, 38, is in the United States illegally, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Immigration agents were seeking Lopez to carry out an immigration judge’s deportation order in 2024, ICE spokeswoman Lindsay Williams said Tuesday, noting that Lopez had no other criminal history.
Lopez stopped when ICE agents used sirens and blue lights to initiate a traffic stop, but then drove off when they approached his vehicle, Williams said. Lopez turned around and ran a brake light before crashing, ICE said in a news release.
When asked if ICE officers chased Lopez, Williams responded, “Pursued? I wouldn’t say that. They followed him until he crashed.”
Williams said he didn’t know how far Lopez fled before crashing.
Savannah-Chatham County school officials identified the slain woman as Linda Davis, a special education teacher at the Herman W. Hesse K-8 School.
Davis was beloved by the school community, Principal Alonna McMullen said.
“She has dedicated her career to ensuring that every child feels supported, valued and able to succeed,” McMullen said in a press release. “His kindness, patience and enthusiasm created a stimulating environment for his students and inspired those around him.”
The accident happened less than half a mile (0.8 kilometers) from the school. Even though students were off Monday for Presidents Day, teachers showed up for work. Davis was driving to school when she was killed, school system spokeswoman Sheila Blanco said.
Chatham County jail records did not list an attorney for Lopez as of Tuesday or indicate whether he had been granted bond. His case was not yet listed in online court records.
Federal immigration agents have faced increased scrutiny for their aggressive tactics during the Trump administration’s nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration, particularly since they fatally shot Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
In a statement, Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, accused “politicians and the media of consistently demonizing ICE agents and encouraging those here illegally to resist arrest.”
Chatham County police said in a statement they were unaware of the ICE operation and traffic stop before the fatal crash.
Local officials questioned whether Davis’ death could have been avoided.
“I have always been and remain very concerned about ICE activities in cities, particularly where they are not coordinating or communicating,” Savannah Mayor Van Johnson, a former police officer, told reporters Tuesday.
“The reason this individual was wanted, did that necessitate the end result? » Johnson said.
Chester Ellis, chairman of the Chatham County Board of Commissioners, pointed out that county police are limited by a policy that allows vehicle pursuits only when officers believe a suspect has committed or is attempting to commit a violent crime.
“The no-prosecution policy is intended to protect our citizens more than anything else,” Ellis told WTOC-TV. “So there may have been a different way to corner the individual so that he couldn’t escape or he couldn’t cause the accident that took Dr. Davis’ life.”
