She renewed her call to pass her bill increasing penalties for putting lives in danger while fleeing police.

Senator Julia Coleman (R-Waconia) renewed her call to pass harsher penalties for those who flee police in a reckless manner. This comes after two young women were killed and a child was injured after a carjacker fleeing police crashed into their vehicle on Thursday morning in Minneapolis.

“Ever since my own family was put at risk by a suspect fleeing police, I have been working on bills to address this issue. Nobody should feel unsafe on the roads, and those who put others’ lives in danger while they flee law enforcement should be punished appropriately,” Coleman said.

The accounts from eyewitnesses indicate the suspect was driving recklessly and attempting to carjack people at gunpoint. Police responded to the reports and the chase lasted about three minutes before the tragic crash.

“My heart goes out to the families who lost their loved ones in yesterday’s crash, and especially the 6-year-old boy who will grow up without a mother,” Coleman continued. “There is no way to replace their loss, but we can get tough on crime, vigorously enforce the laws we have, and recognize that reckless behavior must be met with serious and unwavering consequences to improve public safety in our state.”

Sen. Coleman is the chief author of SF 323, which creates a new felony offense for fleeing police in a vehicle while driving in a culpably negligent way. The crime carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison, an $8,000 fine, or both. Anyone convicted would also lose their driver’s license for at least four years.