The man accused of driving at an extremely high speed and under the influence of drugs when he blew a red light and slammed into a sedan, killing five young women in Minneapolis in June, appeared in court Monday, where his attorney said that plea negotiations are ongoing.
Derrick Thompson, 27, rolled into the packed courtroom in a wheelchair and orange jumpsuit after his attorney and prosecutors met with the judge to discuss the status of negotiations in private. Little was said in open court during the 30-second hearing before Hennepin County Judge Carolina Lamas agreed to another continuance for Nov. 21.
Thompson is accused of speeding through a red light at 95 mph in a Cadillac Escalade on June 16 and broadsiding a sedan carrying five young Somali American women: Sabiriin Ali, 17, Sahra Gesaade, 20, Salma Abdikadir, 20, Sagal Hersi, 19, and Siham Adam, 19.
The Hennepin County Attorney's Office charged Thompson with 10 counts of criminal vehicular homicide — two felony counts for each victim. Charges accuse him of being under the influence and also having a Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun with live ammunition in the extended magazine and large quantities of drugs.
Thompson also stands charged in federal court with intent to sell fentanyl and two counts related to illegal possession of a firearm in connection with the crash.

It was Thompson's second court appearance since the crash, the first being when his bail was set at $1 million.
Thompson is the son of former DFL Rep. John Thompson.
About three dozen of the women's family members and friends showed up to the brief hearing — so many that several had to sit out in the hallway. Many hugged each other and cried, still reeling from the fatal crash that sent shockwaves across the Somali American community. The funeral for the five Muslim women was attended by thousands.