Teniki Steward has pleaded guilty to charges related to a deadly car crash in Minneapolis that claimed the lives of two women. The incident occurred when Steward ran multiple red lights while speeding. The victims were best friends en route to visit another friend facing a cancer diagnosis.
On December 16, 2024, a collision in Minneapolis, Minnesota, resulted in the deaths of Rose Reece, 57, and Esther Fulks, 53. Teniki Steward, 40, was driving a Buick Enclave at high speed and ran two red lights before striking the Ford Explorer occupied by Reece and Fulks, according to court documents.
The impact propelled the Ford Explorer into a nearby bus stop, injuring a 17-year-old boy waiting for the school bus and a male passenger in Steward's vehicle. Both injured parties were hospitalized.
Steward entered a guilty plea on Monday to two counts of third-degree murder and two counts of criminal vehicular operation. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty noted in a press release that Steward "narrowly avoided multiple collisions before striking Rose and Esther's vehicle."
Reece and Fulks were described as best friends who worked at the Cultural Wellness Center. Drakarr Lobley, Reece's son, explained that on the morning of the crash, the women were heading to visit another friend who had recently been diagnosed with cancer. In a GoFundMe tribute, Lobley portrayed his mother as "a force of compassion and strength in the Minneapolis community," highlighting her over 30 years as a tireless advocate, a beacon of hope, a source of strength, and a symbol of selfless service.
Fulks' daughter wrote in a separate GoFundMe that her mother was a mother of four and very loved in her community.
Steward's plea was a straight plea without a negotiated sentence. Her sentencing is set for April 17.