VIDEO: Five Women Preparing for Wedding, Killed in Crash, Were ‘Pearls’ of Community

Amy Furr

Five women and teenagers were killed Friday when a speeding SUV crashed into their car in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The group was getting ready for a friend’s wedding that was supposed to happen the following day when the incident occurred, the New York Post reported Sunday.

The women had just visited a local mall that evening when the crash happened, and authorities pronounced the five victims dead at the scene.

Images show the women and officers assessing one of the damaged vehicles:

“These were individuals who had a bright future. We’re talking about the pearls, we’re talking about the bright stars of our community,” Khalid Omar, the director of Dar Al Farooq Center, told WCCO.

“We have never seen a tragedy of five young individuals who passed away at the scene, at an incident like this. We have never seen something like that before,” he added.

Video footage shows a car speeding off a major roadway moments before it hit the car carrying the five women.

The victims were identified as Sabiriin Ali, 17; Sahra Gesaade, 20; Salma Abdikadir, 20; Sagal Hersi, 19; and Siham Adam, 19, according to the Post, adding several among the group were related.

At the time, the driver of the SUV was allegedly traveling over 40 miles per hour over the speed limit set at 55 miles per hour.

The vehicle exited before a state trooper was able to make a traffic stop, according to officials with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

The driver is accused of blasting through a red light moments before the collision happened.

Now, the community is mourning the loss and video footage shows a large crowd gathered to share their grief with one another, per KARE:

The driver involved was reportedly 27-year-old Derrick John Thompson. Although he was hurt during the wreck, he allegedly tried to run from the scene before being caught and arrested.

“Thompson is the son of former state rep. John Thompson, who did not return messages from the news outlet seeking comment,” the Post article noted, adding he was later tested for drugs and alcohol, but remains in the hospital.

Police records reportedly say the man’s license was reinstated in March following multiple convictions for getting behind the wheel while carrying a revoked or suspended license.

Meanwhile, Omar told Fox 9 the women volunteered their time in the community and spent time caring for the mosque.

“It’s a big loss for our community. You can only imagine one individual passing away, but now we have five,” he stated.

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