Teacher Killed in Savannah Crash as Man Fleeing ICE Agents Faces Vehicular Homicide Charge

SAVANNAH, Georgia – A man in Savannah is facing a felony first-degree vehicular homicide charge following a deadly crash Monday morning on Whitefield Avenue.

The Chatham County Police Department announced that 38-year-old Oscar Vasquez Lopez has been taken into custody in connection with the February 16 collision at the intersection of Whitefield Avenue and Truman Parkway.

Officers responded to the crash around 7:45 a.m. Both drivers were transported to the hospital, where the adult female driver was pronounced deceased. She has been identified as Linda Davis, a teacher at Hesse K-8 School. Lopez sustained non-life-threatening injuries. No other passengers were involved.

According to the department’s Traffic Unit, the preliminary investigation found that Lopez crashed into Davis’ vehicle while fleeing from federal agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a division of the Department of Homeland Security. Federal agents were attempting to initiate a traffic stop at the time.

The crash occurred a short distance from the police department’s Whitefield precinct, and officers on routine patrol arrived on scene almost immediately. Police emphasized that the Chatham County Police Department was not involved in the federal operation, attempted stop, or pursuit, and was unaware of it until after the collision.

Authorities say Lopez will also face several traffic-related charges and is expected to be booked into the Chatham County Detention Center.

The investigation remains ongoing. Police directed questions regarding the federal investigation and attempted stop to the appropriate federal agencies.