Derrick John Thompson Minneapolis speeding driver with history of driving infractions kills five Somali women preparing for friend’s wedding the next day. Driver identified as son of former DFL representative, John Thompson.
A speeding driver ran a red light before colliding with a vehicle carrying 5 women who had momentarily left a mall in preparation for the next day’s wedding celebrations only to kill all five car occupants.
Derrick John Thompson, 27, is alleged to have ran a red light along Lake Street, Minneapolis and instantly killing all five women, Friday night.
The five victims, were identified as Sabiriin Ali, 17; Sahra Gesaade, 20; Salma Abdikadir, 20; Sagal Hersi, 19; and Siham Adam, 19, were getting henna applied and doing other shopping ahead of their friend’s Saturday nuptials, the Star Tribune reported.
Somali community left reeling
‘They weren’t doing anything wrong,’ Khalid Omar, who leads the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center where the five attended, told the Tribune.
‘They were just getting ready for their friend’s wedding.’
Three of the women were reportedly cousins and another was an extended relative.
One of the victims had just graduated from high school. The other four were all in college.
They all lived in Minnesota.
All five women were volunteers at the Islamic Center, with Ali and her mother working as caretakers, while Abdikadir often taught kids to read and write in Arabic. The five women’s deaths left the tight knit community reeling.
Speeding driver going 40mph over speed limit flees crash
Thompson, driving an SUV was allegedly going more than 40 mph above the speed limit of 55 mph on the highway shortly after 10 p.m.
Thompson got off an exit before a state trooper could pull the driver over, Minnesota Department of Public Safety said, according to the Star Tribune.
Thompson then sped through a red light before colliding with the five women in the other car, state police said.
Following the crash, Thompson attempted to flee on foot, but was later arrested.
Minneapolis City Council Member Jamal Osman told the Star Tribune the crash was so severe it pushed the women’s vehicle 50 feet.
WARNING: Disturbing video shows moment of impact from reckless driver speeding & running a red light before killing five people and fleeing the scene. Sources have identified the driver as Derrick John Thompson, the son of former DFL state Rep. John Thompson. pic.twitter.com/JVvNDwuaOV
— Liz Collin (@lizcollin) June 18, 2023
Sentenced to 8 years prison in 2020 for fleeing cops
‘It’s heartbreaking,’ he said. ‘These girls had a lot of life ahead of them.’
Thompson was taken to the hospital and tested for drugs and alcohol, police said. He’s still in the hospital.
His license was reinstated just months ago in March 2023 after he had numerous convictions for driving with a revoked or suspended license, the Star Tribune reported, citing police records.
Derrick Thompson was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2020 for a 2018 crash in Montecito, California that left a woman in a coma. He was fleeing police when he hit a pedestrian and then fled on foot, the reports say.
The car was later found to contain over 17 pounds of marijuana and $20,000 in cash.
It remained unclear when Thompson was released from jail and whether the man was on parole.
Of note, Thompson, the Star Tribune identified the driver as the son of former state rep. John Thompson. The former official to date has declined to address media overtures for comment.
An online fundraiser has raised more than $300,000 for the victims’ family.
‘These are pearls of our community. They leave a big void,’ Omar reportedly said. ‘All five of them had bright futures.’
All five victims are slated to be buried on Monday.
