The death of a beloved Black schoolteacher who was killed in Savannah last week when a Guatemalan man fleeing federal immigration officers smashed into her car has devastated her family, shaken up her community and instantly served as a lightning rod for heated political debate over the operations of ICE in the coastal Georgia city.
Linda Davis, 52, a special education teacher, was on her way to Hesse K-8 School in a southside suburb of Savannah when Oscar Vasquez-Lopez, 38, collided with her about a half mile from the school.
Lopez was on the run from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who had pulled him over to enforce an immigration judge’s 2024 deportation order. He initially complied, but then took off as officers approached his pickup truck, according to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security.
Lopez made a U-turn and ran a red light in his haste to get away from three DHS vehicles pursuing him before the crash. Davis died on the scene, and Lopez suffered minor injuries.
He was jailed on charges of vehicular homicide, reckless driving and driving without a valid license. Other than entering and staying in the U.S. illegally, he had no criminal history, according to a spokesperson for ICE.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin called the fatal accident “an absolute tragedy and deadly consequence of politicians and the media constantly demonizing ICE officers and encouraging those here illegally to resist arrest—a felony,” adding, “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.”
McLaughlin cited efforts by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and California Gov. Gavin Newsom to advise “illegal aliens to evade arrests at homes, workplaces, or in public” as stoking violence and resistance against law enforcement.
“The Left has a Georgian’s blood on its hands, once again,” said U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, a Georgia Republican. “A beloved local teacher lost her life because an immigrant facing deportation refused to cooperate with ICE.”
But other local officials blamed ICE’s aggressive tactics.
“IF THE CHASE WAS NOT ENSUED THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED!!! TEARS FOR THE FAMILY!!!!” wrote Savannah Alderwoman Alicia Miller Blakely, WABC reported.
Georgia Rep. Anne Westbrook, a Democrat, said she was “heartbroken” at the death of the “beloved teacher,” and expressed her condolences to her family, students, and school community.
Westbrook added, “There will undoubtedly be more facts coming to light about this tragedy. There will undoubtedly be blame enough to go around. But it is reasonable for citizens to conclude that the scale and magnitude of ICE’s dragnet is costing us too much.”
Chatham County Chairman Chester Ellis told WTOC that if local law enforcement had been made aware of ICE’s intentions, there likely would have been a way to arrest Lopez without endangering others and ultimately killing Davis.
“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. “So there may have been a different way to corner the individual so that he could not run, or that he could not cause the accident that took the life of Dr. Davis.”
In video footage from school zone cameras, three vehicles with flashing lights can be seen chasing Lopez through the school zone. Local police agencies have denied any involvement with the chase.
“I’m saying to the President on down to all of our national leaders, there’s a better way to do this,” Ellis continued. “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.”
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, a Georgia Democrat, said, “I join the entire community in deep sorrow. I have spoken with City of Savannah and Chatham County leaders to convey my support for their efforts to strengthen public safety and improve communication with federal agencies.”
Many who reacted online to news of the fatal crash expressed concern about the ongoing aggressive tactics of ICE agents while pursuing immigrants who don’t have permanent legal status, particularly in the aftermath of the shooting deaths of American citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by immigration enforcement officers.
Last week residents gathered at Forsyth Park in Savannah to protest ICE’s involvement in Savannah and Chatham County, chanting “Justice for Linda Davis” and “Power to the people … No one is illegal” during the event, WRDW reported.
Davis’ family released a statement praising her “lifelong commitment to helping others” as a teacher for nearly 18 years and as a mentor to many in her community who “led with grace, integrity and deep care for people.” Focused on honoring her life and contributions, the family said, “Today is not, however, the day to discuss the circumstances of her passing.”
“The preventable, sudden and violent loss of her presence and love has created a vacuum of compounded grief so vast it feels as though it fills the Mariana Trench,” her sister, Felicia Jackson, wrote in a social media post, reported AP.
She said Davis, a mother of five, “filled her house with laughter and music,” and loved singing Disney songs and show tunes with her children “at the tops of their lungs.”
“This was Linda: fully alive, engaged and loving,” Jackson wrote.
Her relatives have set up a GoFundMe campaign to provide financial stability for the family in the wake of suddenly losing Davis’s income.
The Hesse School’s principal, Alonna McMullen, mourned her death in a statement to PBS.
“It was extremely difficult to tell 5- and 6 -year-olds that the teacher they loved and cherished will not be returning to see them,” McMullen said. “To see the looks on their faces, it broke my heart.”
Students in Davis’ two special education classes drew pictures of her to help deal with news of her death, she said.
Davis began teaching kindergarteners and first graders at Hesse in September after the school year had begun. Her infectious smile, upbeat personality and dedication to helping students with special needs thrive soon endeared her to fellow teachers and students alike.
“Even the most difficult students, she knew how to make them shine,” McMullen said.
Davis had been teaching in the Savannah area since 2022. A native of Beaufort, South Carolina, her funeral service will be held there on Friday, Feb. 27.
