Man Charged After High-Speed Chase Leads to Fatal Crash in Minneapolis
A man faces state and federal charges following a high-speed chase and crash that killed two women and injured a boy in north Minneapolis on Thursday morning.
Troy Mike Payton, 45, has been charged in Hennepin County with two counts of fleeing a police officer resulting in death and one count resulting in great bodily harm. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 40 years. Federal charges include carjacking and discharging a firearm during a violent crime, leading to a mandatory 25-year sentence that could escalate to life in prison.
According to authorities, the incident began withPayton driving erratically near Lake Street and Fourth Avenue South, where he crashed into another vehicle around 8 a.m. Witnesses reported he threatened multiple drivers with a gun before carjacking a black Volkswagen Passat. The vehicle's owner stated she was traumatized but uninjured.
After stealing the vehicle, Payton engaged in a reckless chase, eventually running a red light at Penn Avenue and colliding with a blue Ford Focus carrying the victims. The victims, Marisa Ardys Casebolt and Liberty Borg, both 25, were pronounced dead at the scene. A 6-year-old boy suffered two broken legs and a traumatic brain injury; he is expected to survive.
Payton was admitted to North Memorial Health Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and was later booked into Hennepin County Jail with a bail set at $4 million. His first court appearance is scheduled for Monday afternoon. The investigation into the events surrounding the carjacking remains ongoing.
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