Marshawn Stepney was sentenced to 25 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for a Delmar Boulevard crash that killed five members of a St. Louis family. The sentence, handed down today, concludes a multi-year investigation into the high-speed collision, which also left two children hospitalized. Prosecutors said the plea deal resolves multiple charges related to the 2022 wreck.
Stepney, 21, pleaded guilty to five counts of second-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault, one count of first-degree tampering, and one count of felony leaving the scene, according to First Alert 4. A St. Louis circuit court judge imposed a 25-year state prison sentence as part of the ruling.
How the crash unfolded
Investigators say the deadly sequence began when a stolen gray 2015 Jeep Cherokee sideswiped a gray Infiniti QX56 on Delmar Boulevard before crashing into a minivan near Delmar and Pendleton, as per Spectrum News. Police had deployed spike strips to stop the Jeep, but vehicle data showed it reached about 80 mph on Delmar shortly before the crash. Authorities also reported that a passenger in the Jeep fired shots at the Infiniti minutes earlier.
Victims and injuries
The crash killed five people in the minivan: Lahronda Simmons, 34; Luther Simmons, 44; Ephriam Simmons, 47; Anngelique Simmons, 52; and 11-year-old Takira Thompson. Two other girls, ages 8 and 16, survived and were hospitalized with injuries, officials said.
Arrests, prosecution and community response
Police said two teenagers who had been passengers in the Jeep were arrested at the scene, and investigators later identified Stepney as the driver using video and other evidence. The crash prompted community concerns about policing and pursuit policies. The St. Louis police chief at the time stated that investigators found no evidence the officer pursuit caused the collision and met with NAACP representatives to discuss the case.
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