DUI Suspect in Colts Players Death Was an Undocumented Immigrant Who Was Deported Twice

A 37-year-old undocumented immigrant, who allegedly drove drunk and caused a fatal crash in Indiana that killed NFL player Edwin Jackson and his ride-share driver, has been charged in federal court with illegal entry into the United States after previous deportations. According to a CNN news report, Manuel Orrego-Savala was driving the car that struck the rideshare vehicle carrying Indiana Colts linebacker and his driver Jeffrey Monroe early morning Feb. 4 on Interstate 70.

State police in Indiana reported that Monroe had stopped his 2018 Lincoln on the side of Interstate 70 in Indianapolis because Jackson had become ill. Both men were standing outside the car when a black Ford F-150 pickup truck veered into the emergency shoulder and struck them. One of the men was thrown into the center lane. A state trooper spotted the wreckage and slowed to stop for the crash, but struck the body in the center lane. Both men were pronounced dead at the scene.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of both Edwin Jackson whose NFL career has been tragically cut short and Jeffrey Monroe, the driver, who was an innocent victim in this crash as well. We offer our deepest condolences to their families.

Serious Immigration Offenses

Orrego-Savala had a prior conviction for driving under the influence and had been deported twice to Guatemala. Officials say Orrego-Savala reentered the country illegally for the second time “before he put the public safety of Indianapolis at risk and took the lives of two innocent men.” He has been charged with driving without a license and driving under the influence. Orrego-Savala was reportedly arrested by immigrations officials in October 2006 and deported to Guatemala in January 2007.

He was prohibited from entering the United States for 10 years. However, two years after he was deported, he reentered the country illegally and was deported yet again in May 2009 with an order not to return for 20 years. President Donald Trump tweeted about the case saying that it was “disgraceful” that an illegal immigrant killed Jackson. He urged the Democrats to get tough on the border and crack down on illegal immigration.

Justice for Victims

Drunk driving crashes continue to cause tragedies on our roadways. Each year, at least 10,000 people are killed in DUI collisions nationwide. Victims of DUI crashes and their families struggle to get compensation from drivers who operate without a valid license or without auto insurance. In such cases, an experienced DUI victims lawyer can help families understand how their own auto insurance policy might apply to such a case.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/07/us/edwin-jackson-colts-suspect-federal-charges/index.html