Atlanta attorney kills man by running over him in a fit of rage after he accidentally threw a golf ball at his Mercedes Benz: Police
SANDY SPRINGS, ATLANTA: A lawyer has been charged with murder for running over a person after his sedan was hit by the victim's golf ball. In what is being called a horrific case of road rage, 47-year-old attorney Bryan Keith Schmitt has been charged on counts of murder, felony murder and aggravated assault for the death of Hamid Jahangard, a 60-year-old real estate investor.
According to a statement by the police, a 911 call was received on July 30 about an injured person on River Valley Road. First responders found Jahangard on the sidewalk near 326 River Valley Road. He was treated on the scene and taken to a nearby hospital but did not make it, succumbing to his injuries. He had suffered a skull fracture that had reportedly caused his brain to swell. He died at WellStar North Fulton Hospital.
"An investigation revealed that a road rage incident occurred between Jahangard and the driver of a vehicle on River Valley Road (Schmitt)," a release stated. "Schmitt's vehicle struck Jahangard, causing him to fall and strike his head. Schmitt remained at the scene and spoke with officers."
The indictment stated that on the day the 911 call was made, Schmitt had driven his 2011 Mercedes CLS550 in the direction of Jahangard after the investor accidentally struck his car with his golf ball. The incident reportedly took place in the driveway of a rental property that was owned by Jahangard. He was reportedly at home to supervise a painting crew since a tenant was moving out, Manoucher Jahangard, the victim's brother, told the police, according to AJC.
He fell and injured his head after Schmitt allegedly steered the car onto him. Minutes before the incident, his brother had reportedly been on the phone with the victim. He had allegedly heard some screaming and Jahangard was heard saying, "I did not throw anything, get out my face, get out my face," before the line went dead.
While cops found the golf ball at the crime scene, they did not see any damage done on the Mercedes Benz. The police also reportedly found Jahangard's cellphone lodged in the car's windshield wiper on further investigation.
Schmitt had claimed that he had hit the man while swerving but, according to investigator JT Williams, it was not an accident. "Schmitt's vehicle plows into the driveway and is not the type of driving for someone to 'turn around' and swerve to miss a garbage can," he said.
The disgraced attorney is being held without bond at Fulton County. He is set to appear in court on August 27.