A tragic car crash on a Friday night claimed the lives of four young women and a girl.
The unfortunate event unfolded around 10:15 p.m., when a state trooper saw a vehicle speeding along Interstate 35W. Before the trooper could intervene, the fast-moving driver veered off the interstate and ignored a red light. At this point, they collided with another car.
Following the collision, the driver responsible tried to escape but was soon apprehended by the police. There’s a suspicion that the driver was under the influence at the time of the crash.
The community mourns the loss of Sabiriin Ali, Sahra Gesaade, Salma Abdikadir, Sagal Hersi, and Siham Adam, as confirmed by the Dar Al Farooq Islamic Center. To support their grieving families, the center has initiated a fundraising effort.
Each of the deceased had promising futures. Ali was an Edina High School graduate preparing to begin her studies at the University of Minnesota. Gesaade, 20, was gearing up for her junior year at the University of Minnesota Rochester, while 20-year-old Abdikadir was a student at Normandale College. Adam and Hersi, both 19, were enrolled at the University of Minnesota and Minneapolis College respectively.
The five friends were together on the night of the crash, preparing for a wedding the following day.
By Saturday morning, a small tribute had begun to form at the crash site. City Councilmember Jamal Osman voiced his frustration over the fact that the reckless driver who had robbed these young girls of their futures had attempted to flee the scene.
A digital fundraising campaign to aid the affected families had collected $222,000 by Saturday evening. Meanwhile, the identity of the driver causing the accident remains undisclosed as the police continue their investigations.