Georgia teacher killed in crash involving migrant chased by feds

(NewsNation) — A Georgia special education teacher was killed Monday after police said the car she was driving was struck by a man who fled federal immigration agents after an attempted traffic stop and after he made what federal officials characterized as a "reckless U-turn." Linda Davis, who taught at a local school in Savannah, Georgia, was pronounced dead after her car was hit by a vehicle driven by Oscar Vasquez Lopez, 38. A spokesperson from the Chatham County Police Department said that Vasquez Lopez was attempting to get away from federal immigration and Customs Enforcement officers when the crash occurred just before 8 a.m. Vasquez Lopez faces first-degree vehicular homicide charges, police said, along with charges of reckless driving, driving without a valid license and failure to obey a traffic light. Hesse Elementary Principal Alonna McMullen said in a letter to parents that Davis died in the crash, which occurred just outside of the K-8 school building. A district spokeswoman told NewsNation that students were not in classes due to the Presidents Day holiday but that teachers were participating in a planning day. Davis had only started working at the school in September, the district said, and previously worked as a teacher within the district at Brock Elementary School from 2022 to 2025. “Dr. Linda Davis was a beloved member of our school family and her loss has affected us deeply,” McMullen said in the letter to district parents, which was posted on social media. McMullen is not speaking to media organizations Monday, the district spokesperson said, but is expected to release a more detailed statement about Davis on Tuesday. Department of Homeland Security officials told NewsNation on Monday that Vasquez Lopez, a Guatemalan national, had previously received a final order to leave the country from a federal judge in 2024. Vasquez Lopez entered the United States illegally at an unknown time. Federal officers were attempting to arrest Vasquez Lopez on Monday during a targeted operation. Officers saw him enter a vehicle and attempted to conduct a traffic stop, which Vasquez Lopez initially complied with before he sped away, a DHS spokesperson said. While being pursued, however, Vasquez Lopez ran the red light and made the U-Turn before he struck Davis' car. Vasquez Lopez was taken into custody by the Chatham County Police Department at a local hospital, where he was taken for minor injuries. Local police said that department officers were not involved in the DHS enforcement operation or the pursuit and did not become involved until after the crash took place, a spokesperson told NewsNation. Another bystander was involved in the crash but was not injured, police said. Vasquez Lopez was booked into a local jail Monday, police said. “This vehicular homicide is an absolute tragedy and deadly consequence of politicians and the media constantly demonizing ICE officers and encouraging those here illegally to resist arrest—a felony,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement provided to NewsNation. “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.” Jeff Arnold is an enterprise reporter for NewsNation Digital covering immigration issues from the border to cities across the country. Send him story ideas at [email protected].