Trial Day 3: Amy Senser Did Not Know She Hit Someone, Husband Testifies | News

Former Viking Joe Senser took the stand Wednesday in his wife's hit-and-run trial, saying Amy Senser did not know she had hit a person the night of the fatal crash.

Joe Senser said his wife believed she'd hit a construction cone or barrel on the night of Aug. 23, when 38-year-old Anousone Phanthavong was killed as he stood next to his car on a ramp off of I-94 in Minneapolis.

Senser said it wasn't until the next day, when he saw media coverage of Phanthavong's death, that he contacted an attorney about turning over the SUV because it was "the right thing to do."

Senser testified that when he first saw the damage to the SUV, he thought his wife had hit a deer. He also said that Amy Senser was not drunk the night of the crash.

Joe Senser's daughter, Brittani Senser, also testified Wednesday, saying she was furious over public speculation that she was behind the wheel of the SUV. Brittani Senser said her dad's actions were "not trustworthy" in holding back on identifying the driver and cell phone records.

The jury learned Brittani Senser knew Phanthavong's brother. She said Phanthavong's friends had called her and her fiancé for a driver identification. That led to the ultimatum that Brittani Senser gave to her stepmother's attorney: either tell authorities Amy Senser was driving or she would.

The jury also heard from an analyst with the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension about 45 text messages missing from Amy Senser's phone, all from the 36 hours after the crash.

During cross examination, Senser's attorney pointed out that text messages may not be kept on a cell phone for many reasons, and showed three other instances in the months ahead of the crash when text messages had disappeared.

The analyst later admitted he did not know how many messages had been sent or received on the phone.

Amy Senser has pleaded not guilty to three counts of criminal vehicular homicide.

Click here to view court documents, a list of possible witnesses and sketches from inside the courtroom.