SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — A Guatemalan driver fleeing a Georgia traffic stop by federal immigration officers crashed into another vehicle, killing a teacher who was headed to work, authorities and school officials said.
Oscar Vasquez Lopez, the driver accused of causing the Monday crash just outside of Savannah, remained jailed Tuesday on charges including vehicular homicide, reckless driving and driving without a valid license. Lopez, 38, is in the U.S. illegally, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Immigration officers were looking for Lopez to enforce an immigration judge's 2024 deportation order, ICE spokesperson Lindsay Williams said Tuesday, noting that Lopez has no other criminal history.
Lopez pulled over when ICE officers used sirens and blue lights to initiate a traffic stop, but then drove away when they approached his vehicle, Williams said. Lopez made a U-turn and ran a stop light before he crashed, ICE said in a news release.
Asked if the ICE officers chased Lopez, Williams said: “Chased? I wouldn't say that. They followed him until he crashed.”
Williams said he didn't know how far Lopez fled before he crashed.
“According to preliminary findings, we believe the pursuit was relatively short in duration and distance,” said Chatham County police spokesperson Betsy Nolen, who noted the investigation is ongoing.
Security camera video obtained by WTOC-TV showed a red pickup truck moving at high speed past Herman W. Hesse K-8 School on Monday morning. The footage showed a vehicle with flashing lights follow about five seconds later at a similar speed, and another vehicle with lights flashing pass several seconds after that.
News video from the crash scene showed one of the vehicles involved in the wreck was a red pickup.
Teacher killed was known for ‘kindness, patience, and ethusiasm’
Savannah-Chatham County school officials identified the woman killed as Linda Davis, a special education teacher at the school.
Davis was beloved by the school community, Principal Alonna McMullen said.
“She dedicated her career to ensuring that every child felt supported, valued, and capable of success," McMullen said in a news release. "Her kindness, patience, and enthusiasm created a nurturing environment for her students and inspired those around her.”
The crash happened less than a half-mile (0.8 kilometers) from the school. Though students were off Monday for Presidents Day, teachers reported to work. Davis was driving to school when she was killed, school system spokesperson Sheila Blanco said.
Lopez remained jailed Tuesday. He is being representing by a public defender in Chatham County, said Don Plummer, a spokesman for the Georgia Public Defender Council.
“We recognize the community’s concern and extend condolences to those harmed,” Plummer said by email. “Mr. Lopez is presumed innocent. We will review the evidence and address it where it belongs — in court, not in the press.”
Local officials question necessity of ICE pursuit
Federal immigration officers have faced increased scrutiny for their aggressive tactics during the Trump administration's nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration, especially since they shot and killed Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
In a statement, Tricia McLaughlin, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, blamed “politicians and the media constantly demonizing ICE officers and encouraging those here illegally to resist arrest.”
Chatham County police said in a statement that they were unaware of the ICE operation and traffic stop before the deadly crash.
Chester Ellis, chairman of the Chatham County Board of Commissioners, noted that county police are constrained by a policy that allows vehicle pursuits only when officers believe a suspect has committed or is attempting to commit a violent felony. But he said county officers, had ICE requested their assistance, could have helped cut off the suspect's escape without a pursuit that endangered other drivers.
“If that had been the case yesterday, then Dr. Davis would still be alive,” Ellis said. “My personal feeling is that one life lost is too many, especially when you’re taking about a precious teacher.”
Savannah Mayor Van Johnson also questioned whether Davis' death might have been prevented.
“I’ve always been and remain very concerned about the activities of ICE in cities, particularly where they’re not coordinating or communicating,” Johnson, a former police officer, told reporters Tuesday.
He added: “What this individual was wanted for, did it necessitate the end result?"