A teacher who ‘made you feel like you mattered’ was killed near her school after a man fleeing ICE crashed a car into hers

Oscar Vasquez-Lopez, was arrested and charged with first degree homicide, reckless driving, driving without a valid license and failure to obey a traffic control device. (Chatham Sheriff’s Office via CNN Newsource)

What was supposed to be a quiet studentless staff planning day for teachers at a Georgia public school turned into a day of mourning when a man fleeing immigration agents crashed a car into a cherished educator’s vehicle.

Linda Davis, a special education teacher in her first year at Herman W. Hesse K-8 School in Savannah, was killed Monday morning on her commute to the school. The driver of the car that hit her, Oscar Vasquez-Lopez, was arrested and charged with first degree homicide, reckless driving, driving without a valid license and failure to obey a traffic control device, according to the Chatham County Police.

Davis “dedicated her career to ensuring that every child felt supported, valued, and capable of success,” the school’s principal, Alonna McMullen told CNN Tuesday. “Her kindness, patience, and enthusiasm created a nurturing environment for her students and inspired those around her.”

The teacher’s death comes as the nation continues to debate the efficacy of the Trump administration’s mass immigration enforcement efforts, which have impacted people of all ages and races through arrests during traffic stops, at protests, workplace sweeps and outside schools.

“An innocent American has lost their life because a criminal illegal alien attempted to evaded arrest,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote in a X post Tuesday.

Driver made a U-turn and ran a red light before crash, ICE says

Immigration agents saw the 38-year-old Guatemalan national, getting in a car during an enforcement operation and attempted a traffic stop, Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a Monday news release.

Vasquez-Lopez initially complied with agents, ICE said, but fled the scene, “making a reckless U-turn and running red light,” which led to the crash a short distance away from the school.

He suffered minor injuries from the collision while Davis died at the scene, ICE said. However, police said Davis was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

A third car was also involved in the crash, but no one from that car was injured or taken for medical aid, Betsy Nolen, a spokesperson for the police department told CNN Tuesday.

Chatham County police weren’t part of – or aware of—the federal immigration operation, the department said, until after the crash.

Vasquez-Lopez arrived to the United States illegally “on an unknown date at an unknown location” and had been issued a final order of removal by a federal judge in 2024, according to ICE.

CNN has reached out to the DHS and ICE for more details about Vasquez-Lopez’s case and his attempted detention.

He is currently booked at the Chatham County Jail, sheriff’s office spokesperson Tawana Garrett told CNN Tuesday afternoon, under an immigration detainer – a request asking federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to notify ICE before the person is released. It can also ask for a detainee to be held for up to 48 hours beyond their scheduled release, so they can be turned over to federal custody.

It’s unclear if Vasquez-Lopez has an attorney at this time and whether he will face deportation proceedings.

Vasquez-Lopez doesn’t appear to have any outstanding warrants in Chatham County, according to information shared with CNN by the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office.

“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,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement about the crash. “Now, an innocent bystander has lost their life.”

An ‘exceptional educator’ dedicated to students and staff

Davis had been part of the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System since 2022, and previously taught at Brock Elementary School, said Sheila Blanco, a spokesperson for the school district.

It wasn’t until this year that Davis began teaching special education at Hesse K-8 School. But even in her short time at the school for pre-K through eight grade students, she created a lasting impact, the school principal said.

She was an “exceptional educator” who worked tirelessly to support her students’ success, McMullen said. And yet, Davis’ warmth didn’t just extend to the children who filled hallways and classrooms.

“She always made you feel like you mattered,” Aisha Buchanan, a former colleague of Davis’ told CNN affiliate WTOC. “Whether they’re a custodian or a teacher, a principal, or even a student, you always matter. And that was her message to everybody.”

In a Facebook post to parents, McMullen said the educator’s death has affected the school community deeply.

Davis encouraged an open and supportive expression of feelings because “students and staff will react in different ways” and “there will be a variety of emotions and responses to what has occurred.”

McMullen described the late teacher as “a source of encouragement and positivity among her peers,” adding Davis’ “contributions to the students and staff will not be forgotten.”