Driver Kills Five and Flees in South Minneapolis
Photo from the scene of the crash Friday, June 16. Submitted by Ashley Boldin @TechniGal_Ash
Victims of the crash
Officials have confirmed that five people were killed in a crash Friday night near Lake Street and I-35W in Minneapolis.
A driver at a high rate of speed t-boned a vehicle at an intersection and fled on foot.
Four adult female victims and one juvenile female victim inside the t-boned vehicle died at the scene, police say. An adult male suspect who is believed to have caused the crash was apprehended a short time later.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner identified the five victims killed as:
Siham Adan Odhowa, 19, of Minneapolis
Sahra Liban Gesaade, 20, of Brooklyn Center
Sabiriin Mohamoud Ali, 17, of Bloomington
Sagal Burhaan Hersi, 19, of Minneapolis
Salma Mohamed Abdikadir, 20, of Saint Louis Park
"This is an incredibly tragic and horrific scene," MPD Chief Brian O'Hara said.
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According to initial information from police, at approximately 10:12 p.m., MPD responded as an assisting agency to Minnesota State Patrol. A Minnesota State Patrol trooper stationed on Interstate 35 near 46th street observed a vehicle driving at a high rate of speed.
TWITTER: Our original thread on the crash
Before a traffic stop could be attempted, the vehicle immediately exited the highway. The vehicle then proceeded through a red light at the intersection of Lake St. & 2nd Ave. and crashed into another vehicle occupied by four adult females and one juvenile female.
The adult male suspect driver exited the vehicle and fled from the scene.
Video from a MnDOT traffic camera appears to show the suspect driver speeding up the ramp from northbound I-35W, with a Trooper following behind with no lights or sirens activated, shortly before the crash.
Minnesota State Patrol, Minneapolis Police Department, Metro Transit Police, and Minneapolis Fire Department responded to the location. The four adult females and the juvenile female were pronounced dead at the scene by responding medical personnel.
Minneapolis police canvassed the area, interviewed witnesses and took an adult male suspect into custody. He was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center for medical evaluation before booking and has not yet been identified. Police say the suspect may have been impaired or under the influence.
Photo from the scene of the crash Friday, June 16. Submitted by Ashley Boldin @TechniGal_Ash
Photo from the scene of the crash Friday, June 16. Submitted by Ashley Boldin @TechniGal_Ash
Statement from Dar Al-Farooq:
“We find ourselves in deep sorrow today, for our community experienced a heartbreaking tragedy last night. We have lost five of our bright, young sisters in a severe car accident. May Allah grant mercy upon the departed and open the doors of Jannah for them.
We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return.
These young Muslim sisters, were shining stars of hope for our future. Unfortunately, their lives were cut short last night by a driver evading the police.”
UPDATE: According to multiple sources, the suspect driver who fled is Derrick John Thompson, 27, the son of former DFL State Representative John Thompson.
Derrick Thompson previously pleaded guilty to fleeing police and causing a crash in Montecito, Calif. in September 2018, according to local media. In that case, Thompson, who was 22 at the time, was fleeing from Ventura police and struck a pedestrian before bailing on foot. Two passengers in Thompson’s vehicle—one from Maplewood, Minn., and the other from Newport—were arrested, but Thompson was not found at the time. More than 17 pounds of marijuana and $20,000 in cash were found in the trunk of the vehicle, which crashed into a wall on the side of the roadway.
A jail booking record is not yet available as of late Saturday night, indicating Thompson was still hospitalized. The extent of his injuries from the Friday night crash is not yet available.
Former Rep. John Thompson, who became an activist after the police killing of his coworker Philando Castile in 2016, won a seat representing Saint Paul’s east side in 2020. The next year, questions mounted as to whether or not Thompson actually lived in the district he was representing after police cited him for a July 2021 traffic violation in Saint Paul and he presented a Wisconsin ID. Multiple allegations of domestic abuse surfaced and Minnesota House DFL voted to expel Thompson from its caucus.
In April 2022, SPPD Chief Todd Axtell accused Thompson of abusing his position after he allegedly tried to bully police officers during his daughter’s traffic stop. He lost re-election by an overwhelming margin in 2022.
UPDATE | MONDAY, JUNE 19
Authorities have confirmed that Derrick John Thompson, 27, has been released from the hospital and booked on probable cause murder. Formal charges have not yet been filed but are expected within the coming days.
YOUTUBE: Traffic camera video of this incident
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