Judge finds driver not guilty in Forest Parkway crash after witnesses, video and testimony

The State Court of Clayton County heard testimony and body-worn camera footage in the case against Michael Andre Highsmith, who was charged with failing to yield the right of way after an accident at Forest Parkway and Lee’s Mill Road. Officer Steven Robinson and other officers testified about the scene and plaintiff/witness statements. Officer Robinson told the court he and others responded and that witness statements and a Department of Transportation camera view indicated the eastbound driver had the green light when the collision occurred. The state argued those materials supported a citation for failure to obey a traffic control device. Highsmith testified he did not realize he had struck another vehicle, that he had pulled into a middle lane and then the other vehicle struck and flipped a nearby car. He also showed the court photographs and a short video of his truck taken at the scene; the footage the defense played to the court showed little visible damage to the truck, which Highsmith said weighed significantly more than the other vehicles involved. After closing arguments and having viewed the body-worn video and a short defense video, Judge Hayward said she was not convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that Highsmith was at fault and found him not guilty of the charged offense. Why it matters: The case underscores how visible damage, vehicle weight, witness reports and video can all affect fault determinations in on-road collisions, particularly where heavy commercial vehicles are involved. Court instruction and next steps: The court released Highsmith; no fine or other disposition was imposed following the not-guilty finding.