Attempts by ICE agents to detain a driver spiraled into a deadly Michigan car crash, resulting in one fatality and scrutiny from local authorities 

A man died after his vehicle crashed into a tree and caught fire in Grand Rapids, Michigan, following an attempted stop by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Grand Rapids police said the driver fled before the fatal collision.

Per Kark, the driver was identified by relatives as Mario David Coronado Juarez. He was a Guatemalan immigrant who had lived and worked in the Grand Rapids area for several years. He was the only person inside the vehicle when it crashed near Century Avenue SW and McKendrick Street SW, according to police.

The circumstances surrounding the attempted stop remain unclear. Grand Rapids police said their investigators have limited access to information from federal agents about what happened before the crash. This has prompted Chief Joseph Trigg to request assistance from Michigan State Police.

Local police were not involved in the attempted stop

Grand Rapids police said they had no knowledge of the federal operation before officers were called to the crash scene. Local officers instead arrived after the vehicle had already struck the tree and caught fire.

In a report by WoodTV, Neighbors said they saw several unmarked vehicles at the scene before Grand Rapids police and firefighters arrived. One witness who recorded video described seeing what appeared to be federal vehicles and people wearing protective gear.

The witness said the crash sounded like a “sonic boom” from inside his home. When he looked outside, he saw the damaged vehicle and several vehicles around the area.

Police have not publicly established how long the driver was fleeing before the crash. They also have not established how the attempted stop unfolded or what happened immediately before the vehicle left the roadway.

The Grand Rapids Police Department said its traffic investigators were “limited in their ability to gather information from federal agents about events preceding the crash.” That lack of information is one reason state police were asked to assist.

Michigan State Police will be involved in examining the circumstances surrounding the collision. Grand Rapids police said the state agency may be better positioned to determine the timeline and identify other potentially relevant details.

Coronado Juarez’s death has also drawn attention from his relatives and members of the local community. Family members told local media that he worked in construction and sent money to his children and other relatives in Guatemala.