A Guatemalan national who was in the United States illegally was fleeing a traffic stop by federal immigration officers in Georgia on Feb. 16 when he crashed into another vehicle, killing a local teacher, authorities said.

Oscar Vasquez Lopez, 38, was arrested by Chatham County police following the accident, which happened at about 7:45 a.m. He remained jailed Feb. 17.

The agency filed four charges against Lopez, including reckless driving, driving without a valid license, failure to obey traffic control device, and first-degree homicide by vehicle.

The woman killed in the accident was identified by her school as Linda Davis, who taught special education at the Herman W. Hesse K-8 School in Savannah, Georgia.

“Dr. Linda Davis was a beloved member of our school family and her loss has affected us deeply,” Principal Alonna McMullen said in a Facebook post. “Her kindness, patience, and enthusiasm created a nurturing environment for her students and inspired those around her.”

Federal officers were trying to enforce a removal order before Lopez sped away, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The driver, Lopez, was issued a final order of removal by a federal judge in 2024, according to DHS. He entered the United States illegally at an unknown date and location and had no other criminal history, DHS stated.

Surveillance video obtained by WTOC-TV of the accident showed a red pickup truck making a U-turn in the middle of a roadway while federal officers wearing identifying vests were standing nearby trying to stop the vehicle. The truck is then seen speeding past the school with federal agents following at a distance.

Oscar Vasquez Lopez. (DHS)

Witnesses told police the truck driver ran a red light and crashed into Davis’s vehicle, according to WTOC-TV.

Lopez was injured in the accident and was taken to the hospital. His injuries were not life-threatening, according to police.

No passengers were in either vehicle.

Police determined Lopez crashed into the victim’s car while fleeing from federal immigration officers who were attempting to initiate a traffic stop, the department stated.

Local police were not part of the immigration operation and were not aware of the traffic stop until after the crash, though it happened just a few feet away from one of the department’s precincts, according to Chatham County police.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reported the accident on X.

“An innocent American has lost their life because a criminal illegal alien attempted to [evade] arrest,” Noem stated. “When Lopez fled the scene, he made a reckless U-turn and collided with a civilian’s vehicle. The civilian driver sustained fatal injuries.

“DHS law enforcement will continue to remove illegal aliens from all states and communities.”