Hakeem Muhammad sentenced for crash that killed 6-year-old Blessings McLaurin-Grey
MINNEAPOLIS -- A man who pleaded guilty in a crash that killed a 6-year-old girl in Brooklyn Center last summer will spend more than two decades in prison.
Hakeem Muhammad was sentenced to a total of 273 months in prison in court Wednesday morning. As part of a plea deal, Muhammad pleaded guilty to fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle resulting in death and fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle causing great bodily harm. He received a 252-month sentence for the first count and 21 months for the other. They will be served consecutively, and he'll receive credit for 335 days served.
Two other counts against him were dismissed.
Last July, Muhammad fled police who were attempting to pull him over after a warrant was issued several days prior for his arrest in connection to a murder case, per a criminal complaint.
At 53rd and Humboldt avenues in north Minneapolis, he crashed into a Ford Edge occupied by five people. The family was returning from a day at the pool and was just blocks from home.
Six-year-old Blessings McLaurin-Grey was found unresponsive in the backseat. She was taken to North Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
McLaurin-Grey's 15-year-old cousin was also seriously injured in the crash.
McLaurin-Grey's family said they ideally wanted Muhammad to spend more time in prison. But the sentence was in line with the plea deal that had been worked out ahead of time.
Her family said the 6-year-old brought them all together. Born with Turner Syndrome which made her appear younger than she was, her family said she was always a fighter.
"We will never get to see her beautiful smile again. We will never get the random kisses. We will never get to chase her after she ran up and took something. We will never get to hear 'I love you' again. The defendant took the joy from our family," said McLaurin-Grey's aunt, April McHerron, who was driving the car that day.
Muhammad was also charged last summer with second-degree murder for the April 2022 death of 29-year-old Devan Dampier. He is set to go to trial in October.
Dampier's family was also in court on Wednesday to show support for McLaurin-Grey's family.