A Henry County judge Wednesday dropped a vehicular homicide charge against a man who allegedly hit and killed a 16-year-old girl, Channel 2 Action News reported.

Robert Huynh, 19, was charged after Tasia Marie Gartner was hit along Ga. 81 near McDonough in June, police said.

Huynh was accused of leaving the scene and attempting to have the car repaired. Authorities found Huynh’s Honda at a body shop in Duluth.

In a hearing Wednesday, his attorney argued that Gartner was in the middle of the highway at night, outside a crosswalk and was not wearing reflective clothing, Channel 2 reported.

So the judge granted the request to drop the most serious charge. Huynh is still charged with hit-and-run resulting in serious injury or death and failure to report an accident.

The case could get further review.

"We will review Robert Huynh’s case and determine whether there is probable cause to present any felony charges to the grand jury,” Henry County District Attorney Darius Pattillo said in a statement.

Know what's really going on with crime and public safety in your metro Atlanta community, including breaking news, trial coverage, trends and the latest on unsolved cases. Sign up for the AJC's crime and safety newsletter delivered weekly to your inbox.

In other news:

The Medical Examiner is now working to determine if the remains belong to missing Iraq War veteran Chase Massner.

About the Author

Keep Reading

An aerial image shows part of John A. White Park taken on Wednesday, July 4, 2025, where the City of Atlanta plans to build new trails as part of the citywide Trails ATL plan. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Featured

Scott Jackson (right), business service consultant for WorkSource Fulton, helps job seekers with their applications in a mobile career center at a job fair hosted by Goodwill Career Center in Atlanta. (Ziyu Julian Zhu/AJC)

Credit: Ziyu Julian Zhu/AJC