Car crashes happen. It’s the unfortunate reality of life on the road. But that doesn’t excuse reckless disregard for the lives of other drivers. There is quite literally no reason to fly through an intersection at 100 mph, hit another car, and flee the scene. But that didn’t stop the son of a Minnesota lawmaker from a reprehensible hit-and-run that resulted in the death of five people. 

A court in Minnesota convicted Derrick Thompson of the hit-and-run killing of five women in Minneapolis

Derrick John Thompson, son of former Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) lawmaker John Thompson, is looking at five counts of third-degree murder for a 2023 crash in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The 29-year-old driver reportedly sped through a red light and crashed into a Honda Civic with five occupants: four adult Somali women and a 17-year-old.

Tragically, all five of the vehicle’s occupants died at the scene of the wreck. If the 100-mph hit wasn’t enough, his large SUV was much heavier than the ill-fated Civic. The curb weight of a 2023 Cadillac Escalade is around 6,300 lbs. A Honda Civic, on the other hand, weighs roughly 3,000 lbs. Even with a five-star NHTSA crash safety rating, there isn’t much a Civic can do to stop a violent hit from a much heavier vehicle. 

However, the crash wasn’t enough to stop Thompson’s escape attempt. He exited his Escalade and attempted to flee on foot. Fortunately, Thompson didn’t make it very far. Police caught up with the fleeing criminal and arrested him soon after he ditched his wrecked vehicle.

Now, almost two years later, a jury convicted Thompson of the killings. The jury found Thompson guilty of five counts of third-degree murder. Additionally, he was guilty of 10 counts of vehicular homicide and charges related to the hit-and-run. Tragically, this isn’t the first time Thompson has done something this horrific.

Thompson has a prior felony conviction for a hit-and-run crash in California. Like this latest case, the driver failed to stop and offer aid to the occupants of the other vehicle. Although it likely won’t provide any peace for the families of the deceased, lawmakers are confident that Thompson won’t be able to commit any such crimes in the future.

“Mr. Thompson is being held accountable, and we will do everything we can to ensure that he can never do this again,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said of the case, per Hiiraan Online. With any luck, Thompson will never drive again. That is, when he sees the light of day again.