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Inset: Cooper Schoenke (Family photo/WAGA). Background: The scene after Faduma Mohamed allegedly ran a red light, hitting and killing Schoenke (WAGA).
A 23-year-old woman in Georgia has been arrested after she allegedly led authorities on a high-speed chase in a large SUV that ended with her running a red light and crashing into a 19-year-old man in a Honda Accord who was killed.
Faduma Mohamed, who a witness said was celebrating after the fatal collision, was taken into custody on Monday and charged with one count of murder and one count of vehicular homicide in the crash that killed Cooper Schoenke. Mohamed is also facing additional charges, including possession of a schedule I narcotic, felony fleeing, reckless driving, improper lane change, and failure to obey a traffic control device.
According to a report from Atlanta ABC affiliate WSB, a trooper with the Georgia State Patrol at about 8 p.m. on Monday, April 14, caught sight of a black Chevrolet Equinox driving at high speeds and making erratic lane changes on Interstate 20. When the trooper attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle, the driver, who authorities later identified as Mohamed, sped away in an attempt to flee.
Trooper proceeded to give chase as the Equinox allegedly continued speeding, exiting the interstate and merging onto Moreland Avenue, which is in northeast Atlanta’s Little Five Points neighborhood. While on Moreland Ave., the Equinox was reportedly spotted speeding and “making reckless lane changes and passing other vehicles in the center turn lane,” the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
While still on Moreland Ave, the Equinox drove through a red light at the intersection with McLendon Avenue, which is where she reportedly smashed into Schoenke’s Honda Accord, hitting the driver’s side of his car and sending it crashing into the Little Five Corner Tavern.
Schoenke’s car ended up more than a block from where he was initially struck by the Equinox, Atlanta Fox affiliate WAGA reported.
A local business owner posted surveillance footage of the crash to Instagram.
Emergency medical services responded to the crash and pronounced the 19-year-old dead on the scene.
Mohamed was taken into custody at the crash site and transported to Grady Memorial Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Shamir Yates, who witnessed the crash spoke to WSB about what she saw.
“Just seeing that they had the red tarp over the Honda that was tough,” she told the station.
Yates also said that she and others at the scene watched as authorities removed Mohamed from the car following the crash and put her in the ambulance and they were appalled to see that Mohamed appeared to be celebrating.
“[She was] throwing up hand signs, middle fingers,” Yates explained. “Maybe, I don’t know, a reaction as if she survived and it was a celebration more than a disappointment.”
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