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Suspect in crash that killed Colts player was in U.S. illegally, had been deported twice

Posted at 10:27 AM, Feb 05, 2018
and last updated 2018-02-05 19:13:05-05

INDIANAPOLIS -- The suspect in a crash that killed two people, including an Indianapolis Colts player, early Sunday morning is in the United States illegally, police say.

The crash happened around 4 a.m. Sunday in the westbound lanes of I-70 near Holt Road. 

According to a release from Indiana State Police, Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson was the passenger in an Uber vehicle when he got sick. The driver, 54-year-old Jeffrey Monroe, pulled over on I-70 to help him. 

Both men were outside the car when a black Ford F-150 drove into the shoulder and struck the vehicle. Jackson and Monroe were pronounced dead at the scene. 

The suspected driver of the F-150, Manuel Orrego-Savala, 37, first fled the scene on foot. Troopers located him on the ramp to Holt Road and stopped him, at which point he reportedly admitted he was the driver of the truck.

A portable breath test administered at the scene determined Orrego-Savala’s BAC to be 0.239 percent – three times the legal limit.

In a preliminary probable cause affidavit filed Sunday, police said the man originally presented a Mexican Consulate Identification Card listing his name as Alex Gonsales Cabrera.

On Monday, ISP detectives learned that Orrego-Savala first gave police a false name. Orrego-Savala is a citizen of Guatemala by birth, not Mexico as Marion County Jail records show. Orrego-Savala is in the United States illegally, and has been previously deported in 2007 and 2009, police say.

Federal immigration officials have placed a hold on him. A spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office said the agency is looking at the case for possible federal charges.

Jackson, 26, played in all 16 games for the Colts in 2016. He started 8 games, recording 42 total tackles. 

Current and former Colts teammates tweeted about Jackson's death, saying he was always happy and smiling. 

MORE REACTION TO EDWIN JACKSON'S UNTIMELY DEATH | Colts Nation pays tribute to Edwin Jackson after he was killed by a suspected drunk driver

Uber released the following statement about the incident: 

“Like so many who are mourning, we are heartbroken by this news. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, the Colts, and the entire Indianapolis community.” 

EDWIN JACKSON | Photos: Edwin Jackson playing for the Indianapolis Colts | Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson killed by suspected drunk driver in I-70 crash | High school teammate, friend remembers Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson: 'He just wanted to play' | Colts Nation pays tribute to Edwin Jackson after he was killed by a suspected drunk driver

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