Jury begins deliberating in trial over crash that killed 2 Marquette lacrosse players
Jun 17, 2026
Day three of the trial for Amandria Brunner ended with the case in the hands of the jury after attorneys delivered closing arguments and jurors began deliberating on Wednesday afternoon.Brunner, 42, is accused of driving drunk w
hen she turned left into the path of a Jeep carrying Marquette University lacrosse players.The September 2025 crash killed 19-year-old Scott Michaud and 20-year-old Noah Snyder.Before resting its case Wednesday morning, prosecutors called a final toxicologist from the Wisconsin State Crime Lab.Watch: Kaylee Staral reports on Day 3 of the Amandria Brunner trial: Jury begins deliberating in trial over crash that killed 2 MU lacrosse playersThe toxicologist testified that Brunner's blood alcohol concentration measured 0.145 nearly twice Wisconsin's legal limit.The defense did not dispute that Brunner had been drinking.Instead, its only witness, crash reconstructionist Zachary Bingen, testified both vehicles entered the intersection during a yellow light.He testified that Brunner's truck was traveling about 15 mph before impact, while the Jeep driven by Peter McColgan reached speeds above 50 mph.He also testified that McColgan could have stopped before entering the intersection.McColgan, who was charged last month in connection with the crash, briefly took the stand Wednesday but invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and did not testify.During closing arguments, prosecutors argued Brunner's intoxication was a substantial factor in the deaths and told jurors they should focus on her actions, not McColgan's."Two bad drivers contributing to the death of two people does not mean that everyone gets to do bad things and wash their hands and not get punished," Assistant District Attorney Emily Zimmel argued.The defense argued McColgan's driving created reasonable doubt about whether Brunner's intoxication caused the crash."Is Ms. Brunner's drinking and operating a vehicle responsible for those deaths? The answer is no," defense attorney Abigail Ruckdashel argued during closing.Brunner faces six felony counts. If convicted, she could spend the rest of her life in prison.Jurors began deliberating on Wednesday afternoon, asking several questions to the judge.A verdict could come down Thursday.Its about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for TMJ4 on your device.Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip
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