Overview
- Authorities say Oscar Vasquez-Lopez fled federal immigration officers, ran a red light at Whitefield Avenue and Truman Parkway, and crashed into Dr. Linda Davis’ car, leading to her death.
- Vasquez-Lopez is charged in Chatham County with first-degree vehicular homicide and multiple traffic offenses, and DHS says he received a final order of removal in 2024.
- WJCL reports no prior arrest records for Vasquez-Lopez in South Carolina or Chatham County, and his family says he had lived in Savannah for about a month with a prior address in Bluffton.
- DHS has not answered key questions about the operation as scrutiny focuses on federal pursuit rules that do not require advance notice to local agencies and differ from stricter local policies.
- Rep. Buddy Carter called for ICE to coordinate with local authorities and blamed the driver, while Savannah’s mayor and hundreds of protesters sought accountability for federal enforcement tactics.