Marquette students killed in crash; Brunner trial, Thursday recap

MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee County jury found Amandria Brunner, one of two drivers charged in connection to a crash that killed two Marquette University student-athletes last year, not guilty on all charges Thursday.

Verdict reached

The latest:

The jury received the case at around 3 p.m. Wednesday and adjourned for a few hours later with deliberations still underway. Those deliberations continued when court resumed Thursday morning.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android

The jury returned with a verdict just after 1:30 p.m. Brunner was acquitted of six felony counts, including homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle.

As the verdict was read, a woman on Brunner's side of the courtroom gallery was ordered out for an outburst. A family of the two victims, seated on the other side, wept.

Defense attorney Abigail Ruckdashel said the trial was an emotional ordeal for Brunner, who she said remained remorseful throughout the process.

"My reaction is twofold. I'm very happy for my client. I do believe that she was not at fault in this accident, but my heart breaks for these families. I'm sure they feel like they didn't get justice," said Ruckdashel.

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

Prosecutors had argued that both drivers' actions caused the death of the victims, Scott Michaud and Noah Snyder. Brunner's defense argued that even though she was impaired, it had no bearing on her actions, as the crash would have happened if another person was in the same positions – that she exercised due care and was not at fault.

"She is remorseful. She feels terrible," Ruckdashel said. "She has kids that are about this age, and every time she thought about those kids, she thought about her own kids."

Complicated case

Dig deeper:

Prosecutors argued Brunner was intoxicated, but UW Law School clinical professor John Gross said the case presented a highly unique and complicated set of circumstances for a jury.

"This case is a unique set of circumstances because you have a collision between two drivers and there's an allegation that one of the drivers wasn't intoxicated, but the other driver in the crash was speeding," Gross said.

That speed became central to the defense.

Vehicle black box data showed Brunner was stopped for three seconds before making a slow turn into the intersection. At that same moment, the Jeep carrying the athletes — driven by teammate Peter McColgan — was traveling 53 mph.

Prosecutors admitted McColgan slammed on the accelerator to beat a yellow light, going more than 20 mph over the limit.

Gross said the verdict also highlights how modern automotive technology is changing criminal trials.

"So these changes in the way we use technology, the presence of technology, our lives and ability to record information and store information, it has really changed litigation to an incredible degree, just in the past couple decades," Gross said.

Homicide cases

In court:

Brunner was charged with six felonies, including two counts of homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle. A criminal complaint states Brunner was previously convicted of operating while intoxicated in 2003.

While she was acquitted on those charges, she could still face a civil lawsuit related to the crash.

The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office later charged Peter McColgan, a former lacrosse teammate of the victims who they said was driving the car the student-athletes were in, with two counts of homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle. He's scheduled to appear in court next month.

McColgan briefly took the stand Wednesday, called as a defense witness in the Brunner trial, and he exercised his Fifth Amendment right not to answer any questions.

Fatal crash

The backstory:

The crash happened on Sept. 5, 2025. Milwaukee police responded to the scene near 27th and St. Paul, where a white Ford and silver Jeep were involved.

Court filings said McColgan was driving the Jeep with five passengers inside, four of whom were in the backseat. That included McColgan's lacrosse teammates, 19-year-old Scott Michaud and 20-year-old Noah Snyder. The two men died at the scene, while others were injured.

Prosecutors said it appears McColgan sped up to try to beat a yellow light, going more than 20 mph over the posted speed limit, when Brunner's vehicle turned in front of him at the intersection.

A computer from Brunner's vehicle showed it was stopped for at least three seconds before it drove into the intersection with the accelerator depressed 96%, doing 11 mph, and did not hit the brakes, court filings said. Data from McColgan's Jeep showed the driver "depressed the accelerator 100%" at the start of the crash and was going 53 mph.

Official statement

What they're saying:

In a statement after Thursday's verdict, Marquette University said:

"Our priority remains caring for our campus community, and especially our men’s lacrosse team, which has suffered a profound tragedy. We offer our continued prayers for the families, friends and loved ones of Noah and Scott, who will always be cherished members of our Marquette family."

Editor's note: This story was updated throughout the day to reflect new information from court.

Crime and Public SafetyNewsMilwaukee