An attorney for the family of former Vikings tight end Joe Senser says it was Senser’s wife who was driving an SUV that struck and killed a pedestrian and then fled the scene on August 23.
The Sensers had previously admitted that it was their SUV that killed the man, but until late Friday -- 10 days after the crash -- they were refusing to say who was driving. It’s not clear what led them to tell police on Friday that it was Amy Senser behind the wheel, but Eric Nelson, the Senser family’s attorney, says Amy Senser is grieving.
“Ms. Senser is not faring very well,” Nelson said. “She is a wreck.”
The family of the deceased, 38-year-old Anousone Phanthavong, is also grieving. Their lawyer, Jim Schwebel, says he thinks Amy Senser’s decision to leave the scene will make it very difficult for authorities to determine if she was intoxicated. And he said his clients want to know why the Senser family waited so long to admit Amy was driving.
“It would have been much better if they would come forth without putting the taxpayers of the state of Minnesota and the State Patrol, and us, through the work of determining who the driver was,” Schwebel said.
Schwebel said his clients will file a lawsuit against Amy Senser.
“They want justice. You know, these folks are like anybody who suffers the loss of a loved one,” he said. “They want the individuals who caused the death to be held accountable.”