CARROLL COUNTY, GA — The defense has rested in the Carroll County vehicular homicide trial of former Georgia State Trooper Anthony “AJ” Scott.
With testimony lasting just under 30 minutes, former Georgia trooper Anthony James Scott talked about his training and his driving leading up to the crash with a Nissan Sentra full of teens.
Scott acknowledged he was familiar with the speed limits on Highway 27. The Carroll County prosecutor verified he was not on the way to a call, nor running lights and siren when he crested a hill going twice the suggested 45 mph speed limit.
Scott was charged with vehicular homicide in connection to a high-speed crash a decade ago that killed two teenage girls.
Prosecutors say Scott was driving between 82 and 90 miles per hour in the rain, with no lights or sirens activated, when his patrol cruiser slammed into a Nissan Sentra filled with teens on Highway 27.
An accident reconstructionist testified the crash could have been avoided if Scott had slowed down or taken evasive action.
On Friday, prosecutors rested their case. Defense Attorney Mac Pilgrim asked the judge for a directed verdict of acquittal, arguing that Scott’s driving was careful despite his speed and that speed alone does not equate to reckless driving.
The judge denied that motion, clearing the way for the defense to begin presenting evidence on Monday.
Scott’s first trial in 2019 ended in a mistrial after prosecutors failed to disclose evidence about where one of the victims may have been seated in the car, a detail that could have impacted testimony about whether the driver saw Scott’s cruiser approaching.
Scott, who now serves as mayor of Buchanan, a small town near the Alabama border, will continue his defense as the retrial proceeds.
Closing arguments are scheduled on Tuesday.
WSB Radio’s Veronica Waters contributed to this story.