A Brooklyn Park man faces new charges for a crash that killed five young women on June 16, 2023.
On Monday, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced that Derrick John Thompson is now charged with five counts of third-degree murder – on top of the original 10 counts of criminal vehicular homicide he was charged with in 2023.
Thompson is accused of driving 95 mph on Interstate 35W, passing a state trooper, exiting on Lake Street and then running a red light. At that intersection, the 27-year-old driver reportedly smashed into the victims’ car at a high rate of speed.
The crash killed Sabiriin Ali, 17, of Bloomington; Sahra Gesaade, 20, of Brooklyn Center; Salma Abdikadir, 20, of St. Louis Park; Sagal Hersi, 19, of Minneapolis; and Siham Odhowa, 19, of Minneapolis. According to Minneapolis Police, the group was leaving a Minneapolis mall when they were struck by Thompson’s vehicle after he ran a red light.
Responding medical personnel declared the victims dead at the scene.
“The senseless deaths of these five young women at the hands of Mr. Thompson has devastated their families and communities,” Moriarty said. “The sad fact is that he has done this before.”
Thompson previously spent time in a California prison for fleeing police, speeding off the highway onto city streets where he struck and severely injured a woman in 2018. Thompson was sentenced for that crime in 2020 and released from prison six months before the Brooklyn Park crash.
The original charges against Thompson remain in place – five counts of criminal vehicular homicide for leaving the scene and five counts of criminal vehicular homicide for operating a motor vehicle in a grossly negligent manner.
“His lengthy record of dangerous driving, the trail of devastation he’s left in his wake, and his conduct in this case make these more serious charges appropriate,” Moriarty said. “We will continue to seek a lengthy period of incarceration to keep the community safe.”
Thompsons’ history
According to Moriarty, Thompson has a “lengthy history” of dangerous driving.
In 2020, Thompson was convicted of felony evading police causing injury or death, felony hit-and-run resulting in serious bodily injury or death and felony conspiracy. In 2018, he was convicted of fleeing police in a motor vehicle and false information to police.
Thompson also has multiple convictions for driving after suspension and driving after revocation. His Minnesota driver’s license was revoked in 2018 after he was convicted of fleeing police in a motor vehicle. His license was reinstated in March 2023.
State and federal charges
In December 2023, Thompson was federally indicted for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and illegal possession of a firearm. Both charges stemmed from the 2023 crash.
Thompson was transferred to federal custody at the Sherburne County Jail in December 2023. His federal trial is set to begin Oct. 7 at the federal courthouse in St. Paul, while his state trial on murder charges is set to begin Dec. 2 in Minneapolis.
Details of the crash
A criminal complaint filed by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office in 2023 outlines Thompson’s alleged actions before, during and after the June 16 crash.
Around 10 p.m. on June 16, a black Cadillac Escalade sped past a Minnesota state trooper on I-35W North. The vehicle was traveling at 95 mph and driving erratically.
During a brief pursuit, the Cadillac cut across four lanes of traffic and exited onto Lake Street before speeding through a red light at the 2nd Avenue and East Lake Street intersection.
A black Honda Civic had a green light and entered the intersection, where the Cadillac T-boned the Honda on the driver’s side.
According to the complaint, the crash was so violent that the Honda was crushed and pinned against the wall of the I-35W bridge. The state trooper immediately checked on the Honda, noting that all five women showed no signs of life.
An investigation into the Cadillac revealed it was rented from Hertz Rental Car in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. Officers confirmed from surveillance tape that Thompson rented the car just 24 minutes before the crash.
Witnesses at the scene reported seeing Thompson flee the vehicle on foot after the crash. Another witness said they saw Thompson at a nearby Taco Bell.
Officers located Thompson sitting injured on a curb in the Taco Bell parking lot. Thompson bled from a cut on his forehead and had blood on his hands.
The officers arrested Thompson and conducted a “show-up” with one of the witnesses who correctly identified Thompson as the driver. Thompson was then taken to the hospital for his injuries. It was reported he suffered a broken hip.
On June 20, a witness reported cellphone footage to the police they had taken of the crash. In the video, Thompson approaches the witness’s car and asks for a ride.
A search warrant for the Cadillac was issued. Officers discovered a Glock 40-caliber semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine with live ammunition in the magazine. Additionally, officers found over 250 grams of fentanyl, 13 pills of MDMA and 35.6 grams of cocaine.
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