Marvel Williams sentenced to 24 years for crash that killed Autumn Merrick near Target Field
MINNEAPOLIS – A man was sentenced to almost a quarter century in prison Monday for his involvement in a crash near downtown Minneapolis that killed 18-year-old Autumn Merrick in 2021.
The Hennepin County Attorney's Office says Marvel Galvaston Williams was a passenger in a Range Rover that was chasing a Dodge Durango into the North Loop neighborhood on the night of Oct. 6, 2021.
Metro Transit police officers reported hearing gunfire before seeing the vehicles speed through an intersection near Target Field. The vehicles then crashed; the Range Rover struck a light pole, and the Durango hit and killed Merrick, before slamming into a building. She was riding a scooter when she was struck.
"Mr. Williams' conduct was extraordinarily reckless and dangerous," said Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty. "People come to Minneapolis for many reasons and have a right to be safe when they do. We will continue to aggressively prosecute those who commit violence, create fear in our community, and threaten our safety."
It is not clear how many other people involved in the deadly crash face criminal charges.