Driver fleeing ICE officers crashes, killing a Georgia teacher,
authorities say
[February 18, 2026]
By RUSS BYNUM
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.
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This image taken from video provided by WTOC-TV shows law
enforcement responding to the scene of a fatal car crash, Monday,
Feb. 16, 2026, in Savannah, Ga. (WTOC-TV via AP)
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?"
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