'I Want Her Back': Husband Remembers Singer Killed In Hit & Run

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- Charges could come Tuesday for the driver in a deadly hit-and-run accident.

Israel Delos Santos was arrested for criminal vehicular homicide. He was out on supervised release after getting out of prison in February for assault with a dangerous weapon.

The crash happened in downtown Minneapolis Thursday evening near 15th Street and Park Avenue.

Krista Sandstrom died on the scene. The 47-year-old HCMC administrator and Minnesota Chorale singer was on her way to a voice lesson.

WCCO's Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield spoke with her husband, Christian McGuire at the couple's St. Paul home.

It's a romance that started in the early 90s. Students at Luther college, Christian spotted Krista in choir.

"She was just an authentic beauty, I was taken," he said.

Of their young relationship he says, "Everything felt right, it was just perfect."

They took their love to the next level with a renaissance style celebration near their college campus in Iowa.

But their years were too short.

"I kinda cried myself to sleep last night saying, 'I want her back,'" McGuire said.

But his voice partner and life partner is gone, her piano holding the music she'd planned to perform with the Minnesota Orchestra.

"She is, she's who everybody should aspire to be," McGuire said.

Strong in business, strong in voice, humble in spirit and a proud mother to two. McGuire says he woke the kids up Friday at 5 a.m. to tell them their mom wasn't coming home.

Christian says there is anger, the three karate aficionados let it out on the family's punching bag. Their 13-year-old son Soren is already back at school saying he will finish strong in his Mom's honor, their 11-year-old daughter Birgitta sharing wise perspective with Dad.

"She said, 'OK. We gotta be strong and we're gonna get through this and we're gonna be happy and we're gonna live the life that mom wants us to live,'" McGuire said.

He says it won't be as planned, but their love story will go on.

"All the plans that we were having with mom, we're gonna fulfill without Krista, but she'll still be there with us," he said.

Christian says his wife who loved to help others in life will do so in death, she was an organ donor. He is planning a celebration of life for Friday and you can bet it's going to be full of music.