Jury selection for Hannah Payne’s trial in deadly 2019 road rage shooting
Hannah Payne, charged in a deadly road rage shooting along Riverdale Road, appears in a Clayton County courtroom on May 8, 2019. (FOX 5)
CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. - Hannah Payne will soon be forced to relive the night in 2019 when prosecutors say she followed a pickup involved in a fender-bender, tried to block the 62-year-old driver, and eventually fired the fatal shot that killed him.
Jury selection in Payne’s trial started this week after several previous delays.
Prosecutors are expected to outline how the then-21-year-old crossed the line by following 62-year-old Kenneth Herring from the accident that happened at Clark Howell Highway and Highway 85 to the side of Riverdale Road at Forest Parkway in Clayton County, eventually cutting him off.
Clayton County police investigate a deadly road rage shooting along Riverdale Road on May 7, 2019. (FOX 5)
Payne’s 911 call from May 7, 2019, is expected to be played during the trial.
"Get out of the truck! Get the f*** out of the truck!" Payne could be heard shouting before a long silence on the line. She then gets back on the phone to say, "He shot himself with my gun."
Herring died at the hospital from a gunshot wound to the stomach.
Kenneth Herring (Supplied)
Prosecutors say that Herring's erratic driving and the crash were a result of a medical issue. They say he was trying to get to an area hospital for treatment.
The defense says the deadly shooting was a result of a scuffle, where Payne’s shirt was ripped, her chest and face clawed. They claim the incident was a citizen’s arrest and Payne acted in self-defense.
Payne is charged with two counts of felony murder, malice murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and three charges of weapons possession during a crime.
Hannah Payne, charged in a deadly road rage shooting along Riverdale Road, appears in a Clayton County courtroom on May 8, 2019. (FOX 5)
Payne has been out on bond with conditions since her deadly encounter with Herring.
Jury selection is expected to wrap up by the end of the week.