A man is dead after crashing his car while fleeing Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Michigan over the weekend, reported the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network.
The man was driving in Grand Rapids on Sunday, Sept. 20, at about 7:10 a.m. ET when his vehicle crashed into a tree and caught fire, the Grand Rapids Police Department said.
The driver of the vehicle, the only occupant, was pronounced dead at the scene. ICE officers attempted to stop him before the crash and he fled, police said.
The man was identified as Mario David Coronado Juarez, according to Rep. Hillary Scholten, who said she has reached out to ICE for answers.
Police Chief Joseph Trigg said he is requesting the Michigan State Police handle an investigation due
to the complexity of the case.
The police department said it had no involvement or knowledge of the situation before being called to the crash site. USA TODAY has reached out to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security for more information.
“No traffic stop should end with a fatality. Something went wrong, and we need to know what and how. I have sent a letter to Immigration and Customs Enforcement demanding immediate answers about what happened and a transparent investigation into facts we don't yet know, so that we can prevent something like this from ever happening again," Scholten, a Michigan Democrat, said in a statement.
"The purpose of federal law enforcement is to make our communities safer. We must make sure that is happening. I will continue to monitor this situation closely and remain in close contact with federal and local law enforcement until our community gets the answers we deserve."
Death in Michigan comes amid fresh ICE scrutiny
The crash in Michigan came the same day as a man in Austin, Texas, was shot and wounded by an ICE officer, prompting a wave of criticism against the agency's immigration enforcement tactics.
Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, 28, of Venezuela, was shot Sept. 20 at about 12:56 p.m. local time after what Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis described as a "small foot pursuit."
Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch said Garces Perez was in the middle of a DoorDash delivery when the incident occurred, reported the USA TODAY Network.
DHS has said Garces Perez was in the United States illegally and had a final order of removal.
Last week, ICE agent Christian Castro was arrested on assault charges for the January shooting of a Venezuelan man in Minneapolis. Castro was accused of firing through the front door of a home where Julio Sosa-Celis was inside while agents were pursuing another man.
Jalen Williams is a trending reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jawilliams1@freepress.com.
Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund, Mateo Rosiles, Natassia Paloma and María Luisa Paúl
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Man dead in crash after fleeing from ICE in Michigan, police say
