Family of Roseville Man Files Suit in Hit-and-Run Death

The family of a Roseville man killed recently in a hit-and-run accident filed a wrongful death lawsuit today in Hennepin County District Court against the alleged driver and owner of the car. 

The family of Anousone Phanthavong is seeking more than $50,000 in damages in connection with the Thai chef's death on Aug. 23. The lawsuit names former Vikings football player Joe Senser, the owner of the car, and his wife Amy, the admitted driver of the vehicle, as defendants. 

On Friday, Sept. 2, Amy Senser's attorney faxed a one-sentence statement to the Minnesota State Patrol finally admitting that she was the driver of the Mercedes SUV, owned by her husband, which struck and killed Phanthavong, according to the law firm representing the deceased's family.

"This lawsuit provides us with a vehicle  to obtain information that the Senser family refuses to disclose,"  Jim Schwebel, a Minneapolis attorney representing the Phanthavong family, said in a statement. 

"We are interested in learning why Amy Senser fled the scene, whether there was any alcohol involved, whether she was was alone in the vehicle and why she was taking the Riverside exit( in  Minneapolis)."

Roseville Patch will update this story as more information becomes available.