Derrick Thompson charged with 10 counts of criminal vehicular homicide in Lake Street-area crash that killed 5 young women
MINNEAPOLIS -- The man Minneapolis police say drove into another vehicle late Friday, killing five young women, has been charged with 10 counts of criminal vehicular homicide.
Hennepin County court documents identify the man as 27-year-old Derrick John Thompson. Five of the homicide counts relate to operation of a motor vehicle in a grossly negligent manner, and five relate to leaving the scene after causing a collision.
Sabiriin Ali, 17; Sahra Gesaade, 20; Salma Abdikadir, 20; Sagal Hersi, 19; and Siham Adam, 19, were in a vehicle going through the intersection of Lake Street and Second Avenue Friday night when a speeding driver slammed into them. All five were killed.
Investigators said the driver was possibly impaired. Officers said he tried to run away from the crash but was arrested nearby.
Thompson was hospitalized after the crash, but has been discharged and taken into custody, per the complaint. He is the son of former state Rep. John Thompson, DFL-St. Paul.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said if Derrick Thompson is convicted, her office will seek a separate sentence for each victim "that appropriately reflects the devastation he has caused and ensures a lengthy period of incapacitation."
Derrick Thompson made his first court appearance Friday at 1:30 p.m., where a judge set his bail at $1 million. If he posts bail, he is not allowed to drive without a valid license, must have an alcohol monitor, and submit to random testing for substance abuse.
Criminal complaint details
According to a criminal complaint, just after 10 p.m. Friday, a state trooper on Interstate 35W near 46th Street saw a driver in a black Cadillac Escalade speeding and "weaving in and out of traffic lanes in a reckless manner." The trooper clocked the vehicle's speed at 95 mph in a 55 mph zone.
Derrick Thompson Hennepin County Charges by WCCO - CBS Minnesota on Scribd
Before the trooper could activate their emergency lights or sirens, the driver "abruptly cut across all four lanes of traffic," exiting I-35W at the Lake Street exit, still allegedly speeding down the ramp.
The driver of the Escalade sped through a red light and slammed into a Honda Civic traveling through a green light, the complaint states. The cars "collided violently" causing "catastrophic damage" to both of them, per the complaint.
All five occupants – the young women identified above – had "no signs of life" immediately following the crash, according to the trooper who observed the crash. Medics who responded to the scene pronounced them dead.
Officers at the scene found a Hertz rental car receipt listing Derrick Thompson as the renter outside of the Escalade. The receipt showed the vehicle was rented at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport just 24 minutes before the fatal crash. A Hertz spokesperson told WCCO the company "is cooperating fully with the police in their investigation of this matter" and that they were "unable to comment further due to the ongoing nature of the investigation."
A witness told police they saw the Escalade's driver run from the scene with a limp, and another witness said the driver was at a nearby Taco Bell. Per the complaint, officers found the driver – later identified as Derrick Thompson – sitting on a curb in the parking lot of Taco Bell. He allegedly had blood on him and was "sweating profusely." He first told police a bleeding cut on his forehead was old, then said he fell earlier in the night, the complaint states.
A witness told police they were "one hundred percent" positive Thompson was the driver of the Escalade, the complaint states.
Thompson suffered a broken hip in the crash and was hospitalized. Investigators obtained a blood sample via warrant, the results of which are still pending.
While searching the Escalade, police found a loaded semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine, more than 2,000 fentanyl pills, 13 MDMA pills and about 35 grams of cocaine, according to the complaint. Thompson also faces federal charges of possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
In the federal complaint, the deponent said the amount of fentanyl recovered is "far more than a 'user amount'" and is consistent with "drug distribution and sales."
Investigators said Thompson's "driving record includes numerous charges and convictions for driving after suspension and driving after revocation," and that his Minnesota driver's license was revoked in 2018 and reinstated in 2023.
Legal analysis
"First from the county, they charged him with what's called 'Criminal Vehicular Homicide and Criminal Vehicular Leaving the Scene, and those are lesser charges than murder in the 3rd degree," said Joe Tamburino, a criminal defense attorney not affiliated with the case. He expected more severe murder charges filed against Thompson.
"Murder in the 3rd degree means you were doing something extremely dangerous, more than just gross negligence," said Tamburino. "When you're driving 95 mph in an urban area, blowing through stop signs, you have a gun in the car, you have allegedly over 2,000 fentanyl pills, that really amounts to an extremely dangerous situation."
The Hennepin County Attorney's office asked for a one day extension to file charges because they were still waiting on more evidence, including Thompson's toxicology report. They say they ended up filing without getting that additional evidence. Tamburino says when they do, charges could change.
"A prosecutor has the power, the ability, to amend the complaint, to issue a new complaint with additional charges because new evidence might come to light," said Tamburino.
California crash
Criminal records show a similar story involving Thompson played out in California five years ago.
According to court documents, on Sept. 4, 2018, officers in Ventura spotted a speeding car. The officers tried to stop the vehicle with their lights, then their sirens, but the vehicle didn't stop, going up to 60 miles per hour near a busy beach.
The driver -- Thompson -- lost control, striking a woman from North Carolina who was on vacation, putting her in a coma for 20 days. She survived and partially recovered.
Inside the car, police found found $20,000 in cash and more than 17 pounds of marijuana. Thompson escaped on foot and eventually fled to Minnesota, where he was arrested and extradited to California. He pleaded guilty to multiple felonies and received an eight-year prison sentence, but was released a few months ago after attending "fire camp" -- a California Department of Corrections program that accelerates credit for time served in exchange for firefighter training and service.
Remembering the victims
Mourners gathered at Dar Al Farooq Islamic Center Monday afternoon to say goodbye. More than 1,000 people came to pray and pay their respects. Following that, the five victims were buried at the Garden of Eden Islamic Cemetery in Burnsville.
Among those showing up included leaders from Edina Public Schools, from where two of the victims recently graduated.
Edina Public Schools superintendent Stacey Stanley promised the district will support the families impacted as best as they can, as younger siblings will continue to attend their schools.
After the community prayer session, the group was bussed to the Garden of Eden Islamic Center in Burnsville for a joint burial.
To help ease the burden for the families impacted, the mosque is raising money through an online campaign. So far, they've raised more than $436,000.