Amandria Brunner, 41, has been charged with two counts of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle in connection with the Sept. 5 crash that killed two Marquette University lacrosse players.
Prosecutors say Brunner, of West Allis, was driving drunk around 5 p.m. with a blood alcohol level of 0.133 — nearly twice the legal limit — when she attempted to turn left on a yellow light at North 27th Street and West St. Paul Avenue, according to a criminal complaint filed Sept. 10.
Brunner’s 2011 Ford Ranger collided with a Jeep Grand Cherokee, carrying six members of the Marquette University men’s lacrosse team, according to the complaint. A witness told officers it appeared the Jeep sped through the intersection and the Ranger collided with it, according to the complaint.
An officer determined the position and damage to the vehicles indicated the northbound Ford that Brunner was driving turned left into the path of the southbound Jeep, the complaint said.
Scott Michaud, 19, and Noah Snyder, 20, both riding in the backseat, were killed in the crash. A medical examiner determined both men died from “multiple blunt force injuries.” Three others were injured in the crash.
Crash data collected from each vehicles’ airbag control modules show Brunner was stopped for at least three seconds before moving into the intersection before the crash, driving 11.8 mph at the time of the collision and didn’t press her brakes, according to the complaint.
The same testing found the Jeep was traveling at 53 mph, 23 mph faster than the posted speed limit on that section of North 27th Street.
“At this time, the District Attorney still needs to review all documentation, as well as conduct a review of the facts to determine the factors that contributed to the cause of the deaths,” a Milwaukee Police Department spokesperson said in an email in response to whether speed was a factor in the crash.
The complaint does not name the Marquette lacrosse player who was driving. It does state the driver consented to a blood draw, which was sent to the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory. The results are pending, according to the complaint.
State driving records show Brunner was arrested Oct. 21, 2003, for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. She was convicted on the charge on Nov. 19, 2003. This prior conviction means Brunner is facing a steeper charge in association with the Sept. 5 crash.
Brunner made her initial appearance in Milwaukee County Circuit Court on Sept. 10. Court Commissioner Susan Roth set a $75,000 cash bail for Brunner’s pre-trial release, mirroring the recommendation by Assistant District Attorney Gregg Herman.
A memorial of flowers at the intersection of West St. Paul Avenue and North 27th Street, the site of a crash that killed two Marquette lacrosse players on Sept. 5, seen in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on the morning of Sept. 8, 2025.
Evidence recovered from the Ford Ranger calls the driver’s sobriety into question
Alcohol, including an open can of Miller High Life, and marijuana were found inside her vehicle, the complaint said. She also told police she drank two Steel Reserves — a type of high-gravity lager or malt liquor — before the collision.
According to the complaint, Brunner had “bloodshot and glassy eyes, slurred speech and difficulty keeping her balance” on the scene.
A witness told police she “smelled alcohol” as she helped Brunner get out of her mangled vehicle. Brunner told the witness she had alcohol in the back of her vehicle that had moved to the front during the collision, according to the complaint.
The witness also noted Brunner “kept trying to put gum in her mouth as she was talking,” the complaint says.
Marquette lacrosse players Scott Michaud, left, and Noah Snyder, right, were killed in a Sept. 5 crash near campus.
Brunner was arrested after failing a series of field sobriety tests.
Conditions of Amandria Brunner’s pre-trial release
Roth ordered Brunner to maintain absolute sobriety, submit to breathalyzer testing and to wear a SCRAM bracelet, which tests a person’s sweat to monitor whether a person has consumed alcohol, if she is released.
She also would be barred from driving as part of her pre-trial release.
Roth called the case against Brunner “extremely tragic,” and acknowledged that the victims’ families and the university community were hurting in its wake.
The commissioner noted the state has a lot of strong evidence against Brunner, which includes video of the crash and scientific evidence of how intoxicated she allegedly was that afternoon.
“The level of intoxication … clouded your judgment,” Roth said. “Now we have two individuals that have died, and we have family members that also have significant trauma for the rest of their lives.”
Brunner is due back in court Sept. 18 for a preliminary hearing.
In all, 47 people have died in Milwaukee County in motor vehicle crashes in 2025 as of Sept. 1, the most updated data provided by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
The data do not include the crash that killed Michaud and Snyder.
Ninety-four traffic deaths occurred on Milwaukee County roads and highways in all of 2024. Statewide, 576 traffic deaths were reported last year.
This story was updated to provide additional information.
Chris Ramirez covers courts for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at caramirez@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Woman charged with homicide in crash that killed 2 Marquette students
