Wife pleads for answers about husband’s fate after deadly ICE crash
By Lydia Blackstone
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Pedro Lopez (WJCL) — WJCL 22 News spoke with the wife of a Guatemalan man accused of killing an educator while fleeing federal authorities in Savannah.
Oscar Vasquez-Lopez’s wife told WJCL that he left early Monday morning to pick up supplies for his construction business.
Officials with the Department of Homeland Security say Vasquez-Lopez fled a traffic stop, made a U-turn and struck a vehicle being driven by Dr. Linda Davis, who worked at Hesse K-8 School.
He now faces multiple charges, including vehicular homicide.
Vasquez-Lopez’s wife described him as hardworking and said she does not believe he intended to hurt anyone.
“He’s a good person, loving, very affectionate, hardworking,” she said. “Yesterday he just went out to work, but what happened … happened, and all the blame is being put on him.”
She said she has not spoken with him since before the crash and is unsure what will happen next, including whether he will be deported.
“I just want him to get a hold of me,” she said. “I want to know what’s going to happen to him, if they are going to deport him.”
“If he gets deported, what will you do?” asked WJCL Photojournalist Pedro Lopez.
“I’ll leave too,” she replied.
DHS said it is unclear when Vasquez-Lopez entered the country, but a federal immigration judge issued a final order of removal in 2024. His wife said the couple had lived in Savannah for about a month, and records show he previously lived in Bluffton.
It was not immediately clear whether the ICE operation was targeted or a random stop. Local law enforcement officials said they were not aware of any ICE operations in the area.
Some residents in Savannah’s Hispanic community expressed uncertainty in the aftermath of the crash, Vasquez-Lopez’s wife said.
Vasquez-Lopez remained in the Chatham County jail Tuesday, facing charges including vehicular homicide, reckless driving and driving without a license, authorities said. ICE officials have not responded to questions about any deportation plans.
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