A 6-year-old girl was killed in a car crash in eastern North Carolina earlier this month, allegedly caused by a Mexican national who had been deported three times and had a history of driving while intoxicated, according to authorities. The incident has thrust the issue of illegal immigration into the spotlight of a closely watched congressional race in a district more than 2,000 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border.
Calli Toler was pronounced dead after the crash on Warren Jones Road near U.S. 17, west of Vanceboro, on the edge of North Carolina's 1st Congressional District. Her mother and sister survived the collision and were treated at a hospital in Greenville. The suspect, Jaime Santiago Corona, was allegedly driving on a revoked license when he ran a stop sign and struck the family's vehicle, according to Pitt County authorities.
Corona had been deported in 2019, 2023, and 2024, and re-entered the United States illegally a fourth time before the crash, according to the Department of Homeland Security. He also has a criminal record that includes DUI charges, DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said. Pitt County officials, who have custody of Corona, have indicated they plan to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The tragedy has become a central issue in the race for North Carolina's 1st Congressional District, a sprawling 25-county area that is one of the poorest in the nation by poverty rate. The economy typically dominates local politics, but the crash has shifted attention to border security and immigration enforcement.
Laurie Buckhout, a retired Iraq War battalion commander and the Republican candidate challenging incumbent Democratic Rep. Don Davis, said the illegal immigration crisis has been “hitting home” in North Carolina. “It has continued because, under the Biden administration with Don Davis' oversight, you allowed so many illegals in the country,” Buckhout said in an interview. “Just a little bit ago, an illegal alien blew through a stop sign and killed a little girl.”
Buckhout, who lost to Davis in the previous election, is seeking a rematch in what is now a slightly Republican-leaning swing district. She argued that while President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda and mass deportation efforts have helped stem the tide of such cases, more needs to be done. She called for higher pay for border agents, improved technology such as sensors, and better access roads along the border to allow agents to do their jobs safely.
“We need to support them more. More technology, more access roads going down to the border so that they can access the border safely. We need to let them safely do their jobs with every technology available,” Buckhout said. “The safety of the American people depends upon it. You don't have sovereignty without a border. That's just the bottom line.”
Davis, a retired military officer, issued a statement expressing support for the Laken Riley Act and emphasizing that federal immigration laws must be enforced to ensure “safe communities” for North Carolinians. A spokesperson for Davis’ campaign pushed back against Buckhout’s criticism, saying the Democrat’s record “speaks for itself.” The spokesperson noted that Davis has been fighting to reopen a local hospital in Martin County and continues to deliver resources for eastern North Carolina.
“Congressman Davis will continue to do what he does best: fight for and be a voice for the people of Eastern North Carolina,” the spokesperson said.
Buckhout also pointed to two other cases involving illegal immigrants in the district: the arrest of Jose Valdez-Masias on homicide charges near Warrenton, and Josue Cano-Landero on charges of child fondling and strongarm rape in the Inner Banks. She said these incidents underscore the broader consequences of lax enforcement.
Beyond immigration, Buckhout emphasized the importance of reviving the local economy, noting that jobs remain a top concern for voters in NC-1. The district is historically significant in the tobacco and peanut industries, while coastal areas are home to key fishing regions. “We need to protect our food sources, protect our farmers, protect our fishermen. And once again, build up the economy from the ground up because the Democrats have been ignoring it for so long,” she said.
The race between Buckhout and Davis is expected to be tight, with both candidates vying for a district that has shifted politically in recent years. The crash that killed Calli Toler has added a new layer of urgency to the debate over immigration policy, as families in the community grapple with the loss of a young life.
