Woman indicted after chase, crash that killed 19-year-old innocent driver

ATLANTA — A Stone Mountain woman has been indicted on murder and other charges following a high-speed police chase that ended in a deadly crash on Moreland Avenue in Northeast Atlanta.

The Dekalb County District Attorney’s Office announced that Faduma Mohamed, 24, faces several charges, including felony murder, for the crash that killed Cooper Schoenke.

“I miss absolutely everything about him, everything,” said Kate Schoenke, Cooper’s mother told Channel 2’s Cory James. “My DNA has changed since I don’t have him. I’m not the same person.”

According to court documents, the driver was under the influence of cocaine and methamphetamine and was weaving through traffic at speeds more than 20 miles over the limit before causing the deadly crash.

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The Georgia State Patrol was pursuing Mohamed off Interstate 20 when she ran a red light at Euclid Avenue in Little Five Points, leading to the collision.

“It makes me very sad for her child, for her family,” Schoenke said. “I wish her the best of luck, and luck is not always on your side.”

Schoenke, while acknowledging the indictment as a step forward, advocates for policy changes to prevent police pursuits in densely populated areas that could endanger lives.

“I understand the weight of ‘I have to protect and serve,’ but I want checks and balances. It’s a blanket policy and it’s irresponsible,” she said.

Schoenke shared a memory of her son, recalling a video where Cooper gave a ride to a stranger who had fallen off his bike, highlighting his caring nature.

“I was like, ‘Don’t pick strangers up on the side of the road,’ but it was just the sweetest, purest thing,” she said.

The case will proceed to a superior court judge, where a trial date will be set once Mohamed is arraigned.