Teacher dies in Georgia after being hit by illegal immigrant fleeing ICE

The victim was identified as Dr. Linda Davis, a teacher at Hesse K-8 School in Savannah, who died Monday, Feb. 16 after her vehicle was struck during the incident.

Published by

Diane Hernández

17 de febrero, 2026

Topics:

A Georgia teacher died after a car crash allegedly caused by an undocumented immigrant fleeing federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and local law enforcement authorities reported.

The victim was identified as Dr. Linda Davis, a teacher at Hesse K-8 School in Savannah, who died Monday, Feb. 16 after her vehicle was struck during the incident, the Chatham County Police Department (CCPD) confirmed.

ICE operation and the accident

According to the official DHS statement, ICE agents were attempting to detain Oscar Vasquez Lopez, a Guatemalan citizen with a final order of deportation issued by a federal judge in 2024, after illegally entering the United States on an unspecified date and location.

According to DHS, during the raid, agents observed Vasquez Lopez enter a vehicle and attempted to detain him. He initially complied, but then fled, made a reckless turn and ran a red light, crashing into the car driven by Davis.

The Chatham County Police Department indicated that the crash occurred around 7:45 a.m. in front of one of its police stations. Davis was transported to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Vasquez Lopez sustained non-life-threatening injuries and remains in custody. Local authorities charged him with first-degree vehicular manslaughter, reckless driving, driving without a valid license and traffic violations.

An agent of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) waits in a hallway outside of a courtroom at New York Federal Plaza Immigration Court inside the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building in New York on July 17, 2025. US President Donald Trump has made deporting undocumented immigrants a key priority for his second term, after successfully campaigning against an alleged "invasion" by criminals. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)

Society

ICE proposes to expand detention centers and speed up deportations with 'reengineering' plan

Diane Hernández

DHS official statement

Department of Homeland Security Undersecretary Tricia McLaughlin called the incident a tragedy.

"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," McLaughlin said in the official DHS statement.

She added that fleeing federal authorities "puts the lives of innocent civilians, law enforcement officers and the suspect himself at risk."

Investigation and position of local authorities

Chatham County Police Department Chief Jeff Hadley expressed his condolences to the victim's family and confirmed that his agency was not involved in the pursuit and had no prior knowledge of the federal operation.

"The Department of Homeland Security has been cooperating with our investigation," Hadley said, quoted in the police statement.

For his part, Chatham County Chairman Chester Ellis said better interagency coordination could have helped prevent the tragedy.

Impact on educational community

Hesse K-8 school principal Alonna McMullen described Davis as an educator beloved by the community.

"Dr. Linda Davis was a beloved member of our school family and her loss has affected us deeply," she said in a message on social media to school families.

Meanwhile Vásquez López remains in custody while he faces criminal charges related to the accident. The case remains under investigation by local authorities, in coordination with DHS and federal agencies.

The incident comes amid the national debate over immigration policies and federal detention operations in the United States.