Illegal Immigrant On the Run From ICE Kills Georgia School Teacher in Fatal Crash, Police Reveal

​An illegal immigrant was taken into custody by the police and charged with felony first-degree vehicular homicide after a fatal collision on Whitefield Avenue in Georgia on February 16.

​According to the Chatham Police Department, 38-year-old Oscar Vasquez Lopez of Guatemala crashed into a public school teacher’s vehicle while escaping from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at around 7:45 a.m. in Savannah.

​Lopez will also face several traffic charges in connection with the death of the victim, Dr. Linda Davis of the Herman W. Hesse K-8 School.​The suspect was booked into the Chatham County Detention Center, as per reports.

​The Chatham County Police Department (CCPD) officers responded to a traffic collision on Whitefield Avenue at the Truman Parkway intersection.

​The drivers of both vehicles were transported to a hospital, where the Davis was pronounced dead. Lopez received non-life-threatening injuries, and there were no other passengers in either vehicle.

​The preliminary investigation by the CCPD Traffic Unit found that Lopez crashed into the victim’s vehicle while fleeing from federal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE officers.

​ICE agents tried to apprehend Lopez, who was issued a final order of removal by a federal judge in 2024, during a traffic stop after seeing him enter a vehicle, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.

​The suspect “initially complied” with ICE officials but then allegedly tried to escape, made a “reckless U-turn,” and ran a red light, crashing into Davis' vehicle, according to the DHS and local school officials.

​The crash happened a short distance from the department’s Whitefield precinct. Officers on routine patrol arrived at the scene almost immediately.

However, the CCPD was not aware of the DHS and ICE operation or pursuit until after the crash, the department said.

Alonna McMullen, principal of Hesse K-8, shared a lengthy statement on Facebook honoring the life and legacy of Linda Davis.

​“Dr. Linda Davis was a beloved member of our school family, and her loss has affected us deeply. The students and staff will react in different ways to the death of one of our school community members,” she said. “We all should expect and try to understand that there will be a variety of emotions and responses to what has occurred. The most important thing we can do is to be supportive and encourage an open expression of feelings.”

McMullen said district counseling personnel will be available to students and staff who need support.

The Department of Homeland Security called the vehicular homicide an “absolute tragedy”.

“It's a deadly consequence of politicians and the media constantly demonizing ICE officers and encouraging those here illegally to resist arrest—a felony,” said Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security.

“These dangerous tactics are putting people’s lives at risk. Fleeing from and resisting federal law enforcement is not only a crime but extraordinarily dangerous and puts oneself, our officers, and innocent civilians at risk. Now, an innocent bystander has lost their life.”