Woman, 19, pleads guilty to role in fiery Minneapolis crash that killed 1
MINNEAPOLIS — A 19-year-old woman pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a fiery Minneapolis crash that killed a man one day before his birthday.
Mackenzie Lene pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of criminal vehicular homicide and one count of criminal vehicular operation for the March 31 crash that killed 20-year-old Cole Thompson.
The crash happened at approximately 2:38 a.m. on Hiawatha Avenue near 41st Street East.
When officers arrived, police say they found the vehicle fully engulfed in flames. Two passengers were brought to Hennepin Healthcare, where one of them died. The other passenger suffered from third-degree burns, a concussion and broken ribs.
Charges say the driver, later identified as Lene, and another passenger fled from the scene of the crash as emergency responders started arriving.
Police ran the plates on the car and learned it had been registered to Lene.
According to investigators, Thompson and a friend were drinking at a party and decided not to drink and drive and instead got into Lene's car.
A witness in the car said Lene was driving fast and aggressive before crashing, leaving Thompson and his friend to die, charges say.
Nearby surveillance video allegedly caught Lene walking in an alley, where she can be heard saying, "I'm going home as soon as possible, I have to talk to my dad," before yelling, "It's burnt the f*** up."
Lene's sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 7, 2025.
