A former Georgia State Patrol trooper has been indicted on charges of speeding and reckless driving for his role in a September 2015 crash that killed two teenage girls, the Carroll County district attorney said Tuesday.
It was the second time Anthony "A.J." Scott's case was presented to a grand jury, but the first indictment. In February, a grand jury declined to indict Scott on felony charges of homicide by vehicle in the first degree, two counts of serious injury by vehicle, and one count of violation of oath by a public officer.
Though the girls' families had hoped for stiffer charges for Scott, the indictment was a step toward justice.
"We have fought a hard battle and today we can honestly say that the truth was revealed," Kylie Hope Lindsey's mother posted on Facebook.
Scott’s attorney could not be reached for comment late Tuesday, but has previously said his client remains remorseful for his involvement in the wreck.
The charges are misdemeanors, but could still mean jail time for Scott, who had been driving 91 mph five seconds before colliding with a Nissan carrying teenagers on Sept. 26, 2015. Scott was northbound on U.S. 27 in Carroll County and had slowed to 68 mph when he struck the 2005 Nissan Sentra as its driver attempted a left turn onto Holly Springs Road, investigators said. The posted speed limit in the area is 55 mph.
Kylie, 17, and Isabella Alise Chinchilla, 16, who were in the Nissan’s back seat, died from their injuries. Both attended South Paulding High School. Dillon Lewis Wall, 18, who was driving the Nissan, and front-seat passenger Benjamin Alan Finken, 17, both of Douglasville, were critically injured in the crash.
Scott was not on an emergency call and was not trying to stop a vehicle before the crash, Capt. Mark Perry of the Georgia Department of Public Safety previously said. Six days after the crash, Scott was fired from the state patrol. Last November, he won a seat on the Buchanan City Council.
In February, a grand jury declined to indict Scott, who made use of a former privilege that Georgia extended to law enforcement officers: He was allowed to be the concluding witness before the jury.
Dozens attended a rally outside the Carroll County courthouse in support of the case being re-presented to a grand jury.
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