Minneapolis Woman Accused of Intentionally Running Down 4 in Uptown

May 4

A Minneapolis woman is being held on $1 million bail after police say she intentionally struck four pedestrians in two separate hit-and-run incidents just minutes apart in Uptown.

Prosecutors have charged her with nine felony and gross misdemeanor counts in connection with the crashes.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County, 38-year-old Sophia Elizabeth Sullivan is accused of intentionally striking four people in a series of crashes that occurred minutes apart and within blocks of her residence at 2800 Girard Avenue South on Wednesday, April 30.

Sullivan is currently in custody and faces charges including first- and second-degree assault, and multiple counts of criminal vehicular operation for failing to remain at the scene.

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The first incident occurred around 6:19 p.m. at the intersection of West 26th Street and Grand Avenue South, where two pedestrians were crossing legally in a marked crosswalk and with a green light when they were hit by the driver of a white sedan. The driver reportedly accelerated through a red light and struck both victims, with one suffering a head wound requiring medical attention and the other left with burns and abrasions from contact with the roadway. Both were transported to HCMC.

Roughly five minutes later, a second incident occurred about a half-mile away at the intersection of West 26th Street and Emerson Avenue South. According to the charges, two people were walking toward Lake of the Isles when they were reportedly targeted by the driver of a silver Honda Accord. One of the victims told investigators he believed the driver could see them and intentionally turned toward them before accelerating.

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Surveillance footage from the area showed the Honda, registered to Sullivan, idling on the south side of the street as the two victims passed by, the court documents say. As they entered the crosswalk, the driver rapidly accelerated and struck both victims.

One victim was thrown around 30 feet. The other landed on the vehicle’s hood and was carried several feet before being thrown to the ground when the driver stopped. Prosecutors say Sullivan then turned the vehicle toward the injured victim, ran her over and continued driving with the victim pinned beneath the car. She was ultimately dislodged when the vehicle turned into a nearby parking lot, where she was allegedly run over a second time by the rear tires.

The woman remains in critical condition on life support. Court documents say her injuries are considered life-threatening and she is not expected to survive. The other victim sustained a fractured wrist and multiple abrasions, the documents said.

Minneapolis police later located the suspect vehicle near Sullivan’s apartment building. The Honda Accord had a smashed windshield and what appeared to be fresh blood on the glass. Officers matched the vehicle's license plate to the prior incidents.

Sullivan is charged with first-degree assault for inflicting great bodily harm, along with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon involving the three other victims. She also faces multiple counts of criminal vehicular operation for allegedly fleeing the scene after each crash. Additional charges could be filed depending on the outcome of the critically injured victim’s recovery.

Sullivan was taken into custody and is being held on $1 million bail, with prosecutors citing the severity of the offenses and the risk to public safety. She remains in custody at Hennepin County Jail pending further court proceedings.

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