SandyMaloneIndianapolis, IN – The drunk driver who killed NFL player Edwin Jackson and his Uber driver on Super Bowl Sunday should never have been in the country.
Police said the killer is Manuel Orrego-Savala, 37, a Guatemalan national who had previously been deported twice, the Indianapolis Star reported.
“Orrego-Savala is in the United States illegally and has previously been deported on two occasions, in 2007 and again in 2009,” Indiana State Police (ISP) Sergeant John Perrine said in a statement. “State police investigators are working with U.S. Federal Immigration Officials and they have placed a hold on Orrego-Savala.”
Police said that about 4 a.m. on Feb. 4, Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson, 26, was standing next to a car on the side of the highway with his Uber driver, 54-year-old Jeffrey Monroe, when Orrego-Savala drove his black Ford F-150 pickup truck into the emergency lane and mowed both men down.
The body of one of the victims was thrown into the center lane of the highway by the impact of the crash.
Orrego-Savala fled the scene of the crash on foot, but an ISP trooper came upon the wreckage a few minutes later.
“As he slowed to stop for the crash he struck the body of the victim in the center lane,” Sgt. Perrine said in a statement. The police did not reveal which victim was hit by the police car.
The same trooper who found the crash caught Orrego-Savala a few minutes later, as he attempted to flee on a ramp to Holt Road, WXIN reported.
The Washington Times reported that the suspect didn’t have a driver’s license and had a blood alcohol level of .15, almost twice the legal limit. He gave police a fake name – Alex Cabrera Gonsales – when he was arrested.
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officials were working with the state police, and had placed a hold on Orrego-Savala, WXIN reported.
Fans and legislators reacted with outrage to the news that the young football player’s killer was an illegal alien.
The Indianapolis Colts signed Jackson to their practice squad in December 2015, and he was promoted to the team from there. The inside linebacker started eight of the 16 games he played in during the 2016 season, but missed all of last season with an injury, ESPN reported.
The Colts released a statement which said:
“We were heartbroken to hear the news of Edwin Jackson’s passing. Edwin was loved by all in the Colts organization. We admired his outgoing personality, competitive spirit and hard-working mentality. He was well-respected among all with whom he crossed paths, and he will be greatly missed in our locker room and throughout our entire organization. We also understand that another person lost his life in the accident, only adding to our sorrow on this day. We are shocked and saddened by this tragedy, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of both men during this difficult time.”