A previously deported illegal alien allegedly drove drunk before flipping his SUV into oncoming traffic and killing a newly engaged Ohio teacher, authorities said.
Alvaro Uribe-Gonzalez, a 33-year-old Mexican national who federal officials say illegally returned to the U.S. after being deported, now faces aggravated vehicular homicide and other charges in the death of 23-year-old Cameron Lyon.
Lyon’s fiancée, 23-year-old Abrielle Kerns, was seriously injured in the fiery Sunday evening crash on U.S. Route 33 in Fairfield County, according to her family.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol initially described Kerns’ injuries as non-life-threatening, but relatives said she remained in intensive care “fighting to recover” as the family grappled with Lyon’s death.
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“This is an unconscionable tragedy because it was preventable,” Republican Ohio gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy wrote. “This perpetrator shouldn’t have ever been in our country, let alone permitted to remain here.”
Ramaswamy pointed to Uribe-Gonzalez’s alleged drunken driving and immigration history as he vowed to take action if elected governor.
“But he ended up driving drunk & killed an innocent young man in Ohio. I won’t tolerate this in our state,” Ramaswamy wrote. “So devastating. It doesn’t have to be this way. I’ll fix it in Ohio next year & will go hard as necessary.”
The Ohio State Highway Patrol said Lyon was driving west when Uribe-Gonzalez’s eastbound GMC Terrain went off the right side of the highway shortly after 6 p.m.
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Uribe-Gonzalez allegedly overcorrected, veered across the roadway and overturned into the westbound lanes, slamming into Lyon’s Chevrolet Trax. The GMC then caught fire.
Lyon was treated at the crash site but died a short time later, the patrol said. Uribe-Gonzalez suffered minor injuries.
Investigators said alcohol is suspected to have played a role in the crash.
Uribe-Gonzalez was charged with aggravated vehicular homicide, driving under the influence of alcohol and operating a motor vehicle without a valid license.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged a detainer with the Fairfield County Jail the day after his arrest, asking local officials not to release him before federal agents can take custody.
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Uribe-Gonzalez first entered the country illegally through Texas in January 2020 and was arrested by Border Patrol.
An immigration judge issued a final removal order Jan. 11, 2020, and the Trump administration deported him to Mexico April 14 of that year, according to DHS.
Federal officials said Uribe-Gonzalez later illegally crossed back into the U.S. at an unknown date and location.
“This illegal alien has been charged with aggravated vehicular homicide and driving under the influence of alcohol after allegedly causing a car crash that killed 23-year-old Cameron Lyon in Ohio,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said.
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“Cameron had his whole life ahead of him, and that life was stolen by this criminal who never should have been in our country in the first place.”
Mullin said ICE wants Ohio officials to cooperate with the detainer so Uribe-Gonzalez can be taken into federal custody and removed from the country.
Lyon had recently begun his first teaching job and was well-loved by staff and students at Crestline Exempted Schools, according to a fundraiser for his family.
A graduate of Otterbein University, Lyon was remembered as a cherished son, brother and friend whose death left his family and community devastated.
Lyon and Kerns had recently become engaged and were preparing to begin their life together. The couple had moved into a home that had been in Lyon’s family for generations and were renovating it together, according to Earthly Pottery Co., where Kerns worked.
“We are devastated by this needless tragedy and miss him dearly,” organizers of the fundraiser for Lyon’s family wrote.
A separate fundraiser organized by Kerns’ aunt and uncle said the family was standing beside her through the “shock, pain and uncertainty” of the difficult days following the crash.
“Everyone who knew Abrielle and Cameron could see the love they shared and the future they were building together,” the family wrote.
The money raised will help cover Kerns’ medical bills and the mounting challenges she faces as she recovers and begins rebuilding her life without Lyon.
“Her world has been turned upside down, and the physical and emotional hardships ahead will be enormous,” organizers wrote.
The tragedy has rippled through the community as local businesses rallied around Kerns and Lyon’s family.
Millersport Coffee announced it will donate a portion of its weekend sales to support Lyon’s family and help cover Kerns’ medical needs.
“The entire Kerns family is like family to us,” the coffee shop wrote. “We are incredibly thankful that she survived, while we grieve with her and the Lyon family over the heartbreaking loss of her fiancé, Cameron Lyon.”
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Earthly Pottery Co. said Kerns had helped teach its classes, while Lyon was always willing to lend a hand when the business needed help.
“Their little lives were taking shape and we got a front row seat,” the business wrote. “We were texting earlier in the day about getting her studio all set up.”
The shop summed up the loss now gripping those who knew Lyon.
“A family has lost a son, a brother, a classroom has lost their teacher, friends have lost their friend,” Earthly Pottery Co. wrote.
The crash remains under investigation.
