By Victoria Mejicanos
AFRO Staff Writer
vmejicanos@afro.com
Dr. Linda Davis, a special education teacher in Savannah, Ga., was killed after a Guatemalan immigrant was fleeing Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and crashed his vehicle into hers the morning of Feb. 16.
According to the Chatham County Police Department, Oscar Vasquez-Lopez, the driver of the car that hit Davis, has been arrested and charged with first-degree homicide, reckless driving, driving without a valid license and failure to obey a traffic control device.
ICE officers attempted to apprehend Vasquez-Lopez during a traffic stop, the agency said in a press release. Vasquez-Lopez initially complied with agents but then fled the scene, “making a reckless U-turn and running a red light, colliding into a civilian vehicle.”
According to ICE, Vasquez-Lopez was issued a final order of removal by a federal judge in 2024. He entered the U.S. illegally at an unknown date and location.
Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin criticized politicians and media who she said encourages people to resist arrest.
“These dangerous tactics are putting people’s lives at risk,” said McLaughlin in a statement. “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.”
Alonna McMullen, the principal of Hesse K-8 School where Davis worked, confirmed her death in a statement and described Davis as “a beloved member of our school family.”
Several local politicians have also expressed condolences following Davis’ death, while some questioned ICE enforcement practices surrounding the incident.
State Sen. Derek Mallow, a Democrat representing Savannah, criticized ICE enforcement practices, arguing the agency is untrained to handle routine traffic stops and pursuits.
“Turning someone’s death into a political football helps no one,” Mallow is cited as saying by local ABC affiliate WJCL. “It doesn’t heal families. It doesn’t make our streets safer. And it does not honor the life that was taken.”
He continued, “We can hold individuals accountable for crimes and still lead with compassion. We can have honest conversations about public safety and immigration policy without spreading fear or blaming entire communities. If we are serious about safety, then we must be serious about preventing tragedies like this from happening again.