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Iowa woman killed in Omaha crash remembered year later

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February 1st, 2017 by Ric Hanson

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nearly 200 people turned out at a southeast Omaha intersection to remember a Council Bluffs woman killed a year ago in a crash police say was caused by a drunken driver in the country illegally. Friends and family of 21-year-old Sarah Root release balloons Tuesday night in her memory.

Investigators say 20-year-old Eswin Mejia was in the country illegally when he was driving drunk last February and crashed into Root’s car, killing her. Authorities haven’t seen Mejia since he posted $5,000 bond and was released from jail.

Iowa and Nebraska lawmakers have introduced legislation to require federal immigration officials to keep any person in the country illegally in custody when charged with a crime involving serious injury or death. President Donald Trump mentioned the Omaha case during his campaign rallies to bolster support for a crackdown on illegal immigration.