A Georgia State Patrol trooper involved in a fatal crash that left two teenagers dead was fired Friday accused of breaking policy, training and state law.
Trooper Anthony J. Scott, 26, was driving 91 MPH — 36 MPH over the speed limit — Saturday night on U.S. 27 in Carroll County five seconds before he struck a 2005 Nissan Sentra driven by 18-year-old Dillon Wall, said GSP Capt. Mark Perry.
“At the time of the wreck, he was on no kind of emergency call, en route to no accident, not trying to stop a vehicle,” Perry said. “Turns out he was running at a high rate of speed through this intersection in a territory he that’s he’s familiar with and should have known the dangers that potentially exist.”
Investigators say Wall, who has been treated and released from a local hospital, was also at fault, failing to yield as he attempted a left turn onto Holly Springs Road. Perry said the trooper had slowed at 68 MPH when the cars collided.
South Paulding High School students Kylie Hope Lindsey, 17, and Isabella Alise Chinchilla, 16, were in the backseat of the Nissan and died on the scene. Front seat passenger Benjamin Alan Finken, 17, was injured and taken to Grady Memorial Hospital.
Scott, a former U.S. Marine, had been previously disciplined for two minor wrecks. Both were for “misjudged clearance” and did not involve speeding or reckless driving, Perry said. Scott received a verbal warning for the first infraction and a letter of instruction for the second.
This time, criminal charges might follow.
Coweta Judicial Circuit District Attorney Pete Skandalakis said his office has been in touch with the GSP as its Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team continues their investigation.
Deciding whether to bring charges is difficult in cases that don’t involve contributing factors like drugs or alcohol, Skandalakis said.
If charges are brought they’ll be presented to a grand jury, the D.A. said
“If one party is at fault it doesn’t necessarily absolve the other party,” said attorney Esther Panitch, who has represented clients charged with vehicular manslaughter. She has no connection to this case.
However, she added, “it’s difficult to get a conviction when you have a victim who may have been also been at fault.”
Two years ago, GSP trooper Donald Crozier pleaded guilty to three charges — homicide by vehicle in the first degree, reckless driving and violation of oath by a public officer — after speeding through an intersection, striking a SUV driven by Atlanta Braves trainer Jeff Porter. Porter’s wife, Kathy, died in the crash.
Crozier was sentenced to two years in prison and eight years probation.
Perry said Scott “regretted the actions he took (last Saturday) night.”
“By all accounts he was a good trooper,” he said.
Lindsey and Chinchilla were buried Thursday. Family members declined to comment on Scott’s dismissal.
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