Noah Snyder and Scott Michaud were two Marquette University men’s lacrosse players who died in a car crash in Milwaukee on September 5, 2025. Snyder was 20 years old and Michaud was 19. Both were sophomores and members of the Golden Eagles lacrosse team.
The crash happened near North 27th Street and West St. Paul Avenue. Snyder and Michaud were among six Marquette lacrosse players traveling in a Jeep Grand Cherokee when it collided with a Ford Ranger. Both players were killed in the crash, while the other four people in the Jeep were injured.
What happened to Noah Snyder and Scott Michaud?
Snyder and Michaud were riding in the back of the Jeep when the collision occurred shortly before 5 p.m. on September 5, 2025. The Milwaukee County medical examiner determined that both died from multiple blunt-force injuries caused by the crash.
The tragedy immediately affected the Marquette community because both men were young student-athletes who had already become important members of the university’s lacrosse program.
Who was Noah Snyder?
Noah Snyder was a 20-year-old business administration student from Getzville, New York. He played attack for Marquette and had a strong lacrosse background before arriving at the university.
Snyder was also part of the Haudenosaunee Nationals U20 team that competed at the World Lacrosse Men’s U20 Championship in South Korea shortly before his death. At Marquette, he was recognized not only as an athlete but also as a strong student and was named to the BIG EAST All-Academic Team.
He came from a large family and was one of six children. His death therefore affected both the Marquette lacrosse community and a large family that had watched him develop as a student and athlete.
Who was Scott Michaud?
Scott Michaud was 19 years old and was from Springboro, Ohio. He studied biomedical sciences at Marquette and played goalie for the Golden Eagles.
Like Snyder, Michaud had earned BIG EAST All-Academic Team recognition during his first year at the university. He was also a well-regarded member of the lacrosse program and had already established himself as part of the team's core group of young players.
Michaud is survived by two brothers, according to Marquette.
How did the crash happen?
The circumstances of the crash later became the subject of a complicated criminal case involving both vehicles.
Amandria Brunner was driving the Ford Ranger that turned left at the intersection. Prosecutors said she was impaired at the time. Testing showed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.133, which was above Wisconsin’s legal limit, and investigators said vehicle data showed the truck entered the intersection without braking before the collision.
Investigators also examined the actions of the Jeep driver, Peter McColgan. Data from the Jeep indicated that it was traveling at about 53 mph in a 35 mph zone and that the accelerator was fully depressed shortly before the collision.
Those findings became important because the prosecution and defense presented different arguments about how the collision occurred and which driver's actions were legally responsible for the deaths.
What happened in Amandria Brunner’s trial?
Brunner was charged in connection with the deaths of Snyder and Michaud. Prosecutors argued that alcohol impairment and her driving behavior contributed to the fatal crash.
Her defense did not dispute that she had been drinking but argued that her actions were not the legal cause of the deaths. The defense also focused heavily on the Jeep's speed.
A Milwaukee County jury found Brunner not guilty of all charges in June 2026. The verdict meant that she was acquitted in the criminal case involving the deaths of the two Marquette players.
Why is Peter McColgan facing charges?
The legal case did not end with Brunner's acquittal. Peter McColgan, the driver of the Jeep carrying Snyder and Michaud, was later charged in connection with their deaths.
Prosecutors alleged that McColgan's speed contributed to the crash. He was initially charged with two counts of homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle. In September 2026, those charges were upgraded to two counts of second-degree reckless homicide.
McColgan pleaded not guilty on September 3, 2026. His case remains unresolved, meaning the charges against him are allegations and not a finding that he is guilty.
How has Marquette remembered Noah Snyder and Scott Michaud?
Marquette’s lacrosse program has continued to honor both players since the crash. Their jersey numbers, 43 for Snyder and 88 for Michaud, have been used as part of the team's memorial efforts.
The program has incorporated the numbers into team equipment and uniforms and has developed traditions that keep both players connected to the team. Their names have continued to appear in Marquette lacrosse coverage as members of the Golden Eagles family rather than simply as former players.
What happened one year later?
September 5, 2026, marked one year since Snyder and Michaud were killed. Marquette student-athletes gathered at the St. Joan of Arc Chapel to remember the two lacrosse players and reflect on the loss.
The anniversary also came while the legal proceedings connected to the crash were still being discussed. Brunner had already been acquitted, while McColgan's case remained pending.
The story of Noah Snyder and Scott Michaud is therefore both a tragedy involving two young college athletes and an unresolved legal matter surrounding the circumstances of the crash. Within Marquette lacrosse, however, their identities remain tied to the team, their families and the lives they had built before that September evening in Milwaukee.
