The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office has officially announced charges for Derrick Thompson almost a week after he slammed into a vehicle full of five women, killing them all, last Friday.
Now, Thompson, 27, has officially been charged with 10 counts of criminal vehicular homicide as Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty says his “grossly negligent and criminally reckless driving” led to the death of five young women.
Prosecutors will seek separate sentences for each victim if Thompson is found guilty of the charges.
While responding to the crash, police found a Glock 40 caliber semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine and “significant quantities” of fentanyl inside his car.
Moriarty’s office is coordinating with the U.S. Attorney’s office and the FBI as Thompson has also been charged with illegal possession of fentanyl and a firearm.
The prosecutors are also still waiting to receive additional evidence from the crash, including Thompson’s blood toxicology and DNA testing.
“The deaths of these five young women is devastating for their loved ones and has shaken our community,” Moriarty said. “We value each of these young women’s lives and plan to seek a separate sentence for each life lost. I firmly believe in the potential for redemption and second chances, but Mr. Thompson has repeatedly engaged in extraordinarily dangerous criminal driving conduct related to apparent large-scale drug dealing.”
To ensure a fair court process, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office will have no further comment while the case is pending unless additional evidence develops that impacts charges.
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