A woman died Monday morning when a vehicle fleeing from federal immigration officers crashed into her car on Whitefield Avenue in Chatham County.
What’s Happening: Chatham County police arrested 38-year-old Oscar Vasquez Lopez after the 7:45 a.m. collision at the Truman Parkway intersection. Lopez was fleeing from Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers who were attempting a traffic stop when his vehicle struck the woman’s car. She was pronounced dead at the hospital.
What’s Important: Lopez faces first-degree vehicular homicide, reckless driving, driving without a valid license, and failure to obey a traffic control device. He received non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to be booked into the Chatham County Detention Center. A second vehicle was involved in the crash but no one in that vehicle was injured or transported for medical treatment.
The Investigation: Chatham County police were not part of the DHS/ICE operation and were not aware of it until after the crash. The collision occurred near the Chatham County Police Department’s Whitefield precinct, and officers on routine patrol arrived almost immediately. There were no passengers in either the victim’s vehicle or Lopez’s vehicle.
What’s Still Unknown: DHS/ICE has not released information about the nature of their investigation, operation, or why they attempted the traffic stop. Chatham County police said questions about the federal operation should be directed to those agencies.
