A teenager in Minnesota was tragically killed in a hit-and-run after a young woman intentionally drove into a fighting crowd over the weekend.
A total of six people were injured when 22-year-old Latalia Anjolie Margalli got into an SUV and paved her way through a crowd on a sidewalk in downtown Minneapolis. The driver was reportedly involved in a large brawl which presumably led her to drive into the crowd. While five who were struck in the early morning incident on Saturday September 14, 16-year-old De’Miaya Broome later died at the hospital while being treated.
According to Brian O’Hara, the chief of police for the Minneapolis Police Department, there is “no question” that Margalli drove into the crowd intentionally. However, he added that they were not immediately sure if the suspect was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.
The police chief described video footage of the incident as “absolutely horrific,” adding that there are no words capable of “describing how tragic and senseless” an incident such as this claimed the life of a young girl. He also expressed gratitude that there were not more deaths or injuries from the crash.
Along with 16-year-old Broome, a 29-year-old female survived life-threatening wounds from the crash. Two girls, both age 14, and two men ages 24 and 28, were also treated for injuries that were not life-threatening.
Court records show the woman has past convictions for driving on a suspended license last year and for assaulting her 14-year-old sister in 2022. It wasn’t immediately clear if her license is still suspended. The city’s police department said the incident took place just before 12:30 in the morning on Saturday. The brawl which may have led to the hit-and-run involved adults in their 20s and teenagers, gathered on a sidewalk downtown.
Margalli then backed down the road and drove straight through the crowd of over a dozen people. She drove away after striking the pedestrians, followed by witnesses, before being pulled over and arrested by police. She was charged with murder and is in custody at Hennepin County Jail.
The late teenager, Broome, was described by her father as a “really good kid” who had “the biggest heart.” He also recalled that she “loved being an auntie” to “all” her nieces and nephews.
