Minnesota Driver in 2023 Crash Killing Five Women to Serve About 64 Years
A Minnesota judge has confirmed that Derrick Thompson, 29, will effectively spend about 64 years in prison for a 2023 high‑speed crash in south Minneapolis that killed five young women, after combining his state and federal sentences. Thompson was convicted in July of five counts of third‑degree murder and 10 counts of criminal vehicular homicide for the June 16, 2023 collision, in which he sped off from a trailing state trooper, reached roughly 100 mph, and slammed into the victims’ vehicle as they prepared for a friend’s wedding. Police found a loaded handgun, more than 2,000 fentanyl pills and other narcotics in his rented Cadillac, leading to separate federal fentanyl and firearm charges for which he was sentenced Wednesday to 14 years, partially concurrent with his nearly 59‑year state term. Prosecutors say his defense that his brother was driving was undermined by testimony and evidence, and the case has drawn attention in Minnesota because of the youth of the Somali American victims and the scale of the drug haul involved.
📌 Key Facts
- On June 16, 2023, Derrick Thompson crashed into another vehicle at high speed on Interstate 35W and East Lake Street in Minneapolis, killing five women ages 17 to 20.
- Thompson was convicted of five counts of third‑degree murder and 10 counts of criminal vehicular homicide and was sentenced in July to 58 years and eight months in state prison.
- He received an additional 14‑year federal sentence on fentanyl and firearm charges, and because some time will be served concurrently, he is expected to remain imprisoned for about 64 years.
📊 Relevant Data
In Minnesota, Black Minnesotans die from drug overdoses at over three times the rate of White Minnesotans, with rates of 51.9 per 100,000 for Black individuals compared to 16.6 per 100,000 for White individuals as of recent data.
Since 2015, the motor vehicle fatality rate for Black Americans has exceeded that of White Americans, with Black individuals experiencing higher mortality per mile traveled; by 2020, Black non-Hispanic passenger vehicle occupant deaths had increased by 73% compared to earlier periods.
An Emerging Racial Disparity in US Motor Vehicle Fatalities — PMC
Minnesota is home to over 100,000 Somali individuals, representing about 2% of the state's population, with the community growing primarily through refugee resettlement programs and family reunification policies since the 1990s, accelerated by civil war in Somalia.
By the numbers: Minnesota's Somali population, according to Census data — KTTC
In the United States, the homicide rate among Black victims is 26.6 per 100,000, compared to the national rate of 7.1 per 100,000, and most homicides are intra-racial, with offenders more likely to victimize within their own racial group.
Gun Violence Among Black Americans: 2025 Statistics — Ammo.com
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