Buchanan Mayor A.J. Scott on Trial for 2015 Teen Crash

CARROLL COUNTY, Ga. – The retrial of Buchanan Mayor A.J. Scott resumed Friday, focusing on his role in a fatal 2015 crash that killed two teenage girls. Scott, a former Georgia State Trooper, is facing charges of vehicular homicide and other offenses related to the incident.

Scott is accused of driving over 80 mph in a 45 mph zone on a wet stretch of Highway 27 near Bremen. The crash resulted in the deaths of 17-year-old Kylie Lindsey and 16-year-old Isabella Chinchilla, with only two other teenagers surviving the wreck.

During testimony, prosecutors presented evidence that Scott was speeding and did not have his lights or sirens activated at the time of the crash. They argued that he was driving approximately 90 mph when he collided with the teenagers’ car.

The defense contended that the smaller vehicle was making a left turn and did not yield. They also highlighted the condition of the vehicle and suggested the teenagers may have been drinking prior to the crash.

Scott testified that he was driving to retrieve a dead battery for his body-worn radio and claimed he changed lanes to avoid the Altima driven by one of the teenage boys. However, prosecutors pointed out that he was not responding to an emergency situation during the incident.

Witnesses, including paramedics and surviving passengers, described the chaotic aftermath of the crash. One paramedic recalled a teen’s desperate wish to call her mother while another noted a victim’s lips turning blue.

Scott, who could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted, had his original trial declared a mistrial in 2019 due to alleged prosecution misconduct. The retrial continues as both sides present their cases.