ICE is being pressured to take responsibility after a high-speed car chase between federal agents and a fleeing suspect led to the death of an innocent passerby. Now questions are being raised over the department’s lack of regard for public safety protocols.
Georgia is mourning the death of Dr. Linda Davis, a special education teacher, who was killed on Whitefield Avenue on Monday when the suspect’s vehicle crashed into hers. The deadly incident took place just a mile away from a high school.
Linda died a hero. Her car managed to shield another vehicle, carrying Caitilin Terry, a pregnant mother, and her two children, saving them from sustaining fatal injuries.
🚨ICE car crash kills beloved Savannah teacher, Linda Davis
On Monday, February 16, ICE agents operating in Savannah targeted a Latino driver, reportedly identified as Oscar Lopez, and initiated a vehicle pursuit. The chase ended in a crash that killed Linda Davis, a beloved… pic.twitter.com/5Z4mIZmgBy
— Party for Socialism and Liberation (@pslnational) February 17, 2026
Terry, who is still in shock, has described the incident as sheer luck. She recalled that a vehicle flew in her direction after the ICE encounter unfolded, leaving her no time to get out of the way.
She said, “I was just trying to make sure that I wasn’t hitting anybody as I was making my turn, and then once I had a chance to look in my rear view, that’s when I saw the cops flying around from where the school was.”
If it wasn’t for Dr. Davis, who placed her car between Terry’s vehicle and the collision, she, along with her kids, would have been long dead. “If she wasn’t there, my baby—I’m 8 months pregnant—my baby would’ve died, my 3-year-old would’ve died. I don’t know if I would’ve made it, and my husband would’ve gotten that call about ‘hey your whole family’s dead,’” Terry added.
GEORGIA — “beloved teacher” Dr. Linda Davis killed in a car crash as ICE chased a man through the streets: https://t.co/j3RmGXnKYf
Even the ICE release (which blames Dems🤔) says his only crime was being undocumented: https://t.co/RpNOrPPTSq pic.twitter.com/yhbDsFCZx1
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) February 17, 2026
According to WTOC, local leaders and the sheriff’s department are now pointing fingers at ICE for their lack of public conscientiousness. Savannah Mayor Van Johnson, a former sheriff’s deputy, has blamed the communication gap between federal and local law enforcement agencies.
“The rules have changed. We’ve seen that in Minneapolis; we see it in cities across the country, and it is evident by the fact that our local law enforcement agencies did not know it.” She continued, “If law enforcement knows about it, then we can prioritize local public safety. It appears or seems that federal agencies either don’t care or don’t have a propensity to care about the local community.”
Alderman Alicia Miller Blakely thinks that ICE should be held accountable for the deadly crash. Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley claims that the federal agents should have been cautious and pursued a safer alternative.
“I really feel with the technology that’s available to law enforcement today and our ability to identify folks, that there’s a better way to apprehend folks without putting the community at risk and our officers at risk,” Hadley stated on Monday.
