CHATHAM COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC/Gray News) - A teacher in Georgia was killed in a crash when a man fleeing from ICE slammed into her car, according to authorities.

Chatham County Police responded to the crash around 7:45 a.m. on Monday.

Investigators say Homeland Security was conducting an operation in the area and attempted to pull over Oscar Vasquez Lopez. Lopez didn’t pull over, and ICE agents began chasing him.

He then crashed into Dr. Linda Davis, a Hesse K-8 School teacher.

Davis was taken to the hospital, where she died from her injuries.

Hesse K-8 School said, “Dr. Linda Davis was a beloved member of our school family and her loss has affected us deeply.”

Davis’ former coworker, Aisha Buchanan, visited the crash site and said the victim made a major impact on her life and the lives of everyone around her.

“She always made you feel like you mattered,” Buchanan said. “Whether they’re a custodian or a teacher, a principal or even a student, you always matter. And that was her message to everybody.”

Lopez was arrested and charged with first-degree homicide by vehicle, reckless driving, driving without valid license and failure to obey traffic control device.

According to a DHS press release, Lopez is from Guatemala and entered the United State illegally at an unknown time. A federal judge signed off on a final order of removal for Lopez in 2024.

Chatham County Sheriff’s Office records show Lopez has no prior criminal history in the county.

Police say the department was unaware that DHS or ICE were conducting any operations in the area, and that no officers were part of the chase.

Chatham County Chairman Chester Ellis spoke to WTOC on Monday afternoon, saying if the county had been made aware, there likely would’ve been a way to arrest Lopez without endangering others and, ultimately, killing Davis.

“I’m saying to the president on down to all of our national leaders, there’s a better way to do this. And I think if you allow us to be at the table to draw out strategies and come up with ways of doing things, we can prevent this,” Ellis says.

Ellis also pointed out that local law enforcement agencies in Chatham County have restrictive chase policies and would not have been able to take the action ICE did.

“We have a no chase policy, and the no-chase policy is to help protect our citizens more than it is anything else,” Ellis said.

Police Chief Jeff Hadley offered his condolences to Davis’ family, saying her death was likely preventable.

“Condolences to the Davis family, Savannah-Chatham Public Schools and anyone that’s affected by this. As the chairman stated, this is really unfortunate and, more than likely, preventable,” Hadley said.

According to Hadley, DHS has been cooperating with the police investigation of the crash.

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