A man accused of fatally striking a 73-year-old pedestrian while driving in Sevierville, then fleeing the scene of the accident to Knoxville, is reportedly being held by the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) at the request of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
According to the Sevierville Police Department, 34-year-old Enrique Estrada Martinez was charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving death and driving without a license. He is accused of fleeing from the scene of the accident that killed Henry Smith, a 73-year-old man reported to be from Kentucky, who was found deceased in the street by police that morning.
The department alleges Estrada Martinez (pictured above) fatally struck Smith while driving a Ford Transit van, then left the scene of the accident without contacting authorities. He was reportedly located later the same day in Knoxville, and SCSO records show he was booked into jail on Monday afternoon.
Though described as a “Knoxville man” by SPD in the department’s Monday post to social media, The Mountain Press reported on Wednesday that ICE had since issued a detainer for Estrada Martinez, blocking his release from the county jail.
An ICE website explains that the agency issues detainers, “against potentially dangerous aliens who have been arrested by another law enforcement agency or are removable from the United States.”
Local authorities in Tennessee have been pushed to formalize their willingness to honor such detainers in 287(g) agreements with ICE, which have soared by 950 percent nationwide since President Donald Trump began his second term in the White House. Lawmakers in the Tennessee General Assembly are currently contemplating legislation that could make 287(g) agreements mandatory.
Republican leaders in the General Assembly also introduced legislation that would create state-level immigration offenses in Tennessee, authorizing law enforcement to perform certain immigration duties even without a 287(g) agreement.
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Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected].
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