Whitmer orders review of law enforcement actions after fatal crash involving ICE — The Hill
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has instructed the state police to conduct an independent review of law enforcement actions following a fatal crash in Grand Rapids, United States, involving officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). As The Hill reports, the review will be conducted in coordination with the Grand Rapids Police Department’s investigation.
Crash after attempt to stop a vehicle
On Sunday morning, driver Mario David Coronado-Juarez, who was alone in the vehicle, died. According to the Detroit Free Press, at about 7:10 a.m. he was traveling southwest toward the intersection of Century Avenue and McKendrick Street when his vehicle crashed into a tree and caught fire. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police told The Washington Post that ICE officers had attempted to stop the vehicle before the collision, but the driver fled. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told The Hill that ICE agents had tried to identify the driver and, after the vehicle sped away at a high rate of speed, ended the operation due to public safety concerns.
According to DHS, ICE officers soon saw smoke about half a mile from the location of the attempted stop and found the vehicle crashed into a tree and on fire. The department also said that agents tried to assist Coronado-Juarez and extinguish the fire before local police and firefighters arrived. Officials estimated that the vehicle was traveling at more than 100 mph at the time of the crash.
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Calls for an independent investigation
Whitmer spokesperson Kaylie Hanson said the governor had instructed the state police to independently assess law enforcement actions in this situation. Grand Rapids Police Chief Joseph Trigg also called for an independent investigation.
Michigan U.S. House Representative Hillary Scholten sent a letter to acting ICE Director David Venturella demanding explanations regarding the circumstances of the crash and a transparent investigation. Organizers of the immigrant rights advocacy group Movimiento Cosecha Grand Rapids said that Coronado-Juarez was married and had three young children.
DHS also said that the U.S. Border Patrol deported Coronado-Juarez in 2021, after which he re-entered the country. According to a department representative, the man was allegedly wanted in Guatemala in connection with similar offenses related to driving under the influence of alcohol.
