Amy Senser jury selection begins today
Jury selection in the Amy Senser trial begins this morning in Hennepin County District Court.
During the trial, jurors will consider the merits of three counts of felony criminal vehicular homicide against Senser stemming from a crash on the night of Aug. 23 last year.
What's not in dispute is that Senser's Mercedes Benz SUV was the vehicle involved in the crash that killed 38-year-old Anousone Phanthavong. He was putting gas into his car on the side of the Riverside Avenue off ramp from I-94 when he was hit. More than a week after the crash, Senser, wife of former Vikings stars Joe Senser, admitted she was the driver of the SUV.
Prosecutors will try to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Senser left the scene of the accident, failed to notify authorities in a timely manner, and was grossly negligent. Defense attorney Eric Nelson says Senser didn't know she was involved in an accident and says the family called law enforcement after they discovered damage to the vehicle.
Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Deborah Russell will likely focus her prosecution on allegations that Senser had been drinking on the night of the crash. Russell says Senser admitted to one of her daughters that she had been drinking. And according to the complaint, one other witness suspected alcohol use by Senser.
Senser's attorney Eric Nelson has said any claims that Senser was impaired that night are "pure speculation."
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