Atlanta lawyer found guilty of hitting, killing man during road rage incident over golf ball

ATLANTA — A metro Atlanta attorney accused of intentionally running over and killing a real estate investor over a golf ball was found guilty on all counts Tuesday.

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Bryan Schmitt was found guilty of murder, two counts of felony murder and two counts of aggravated assault by a jury.

Prosecutors said Schmitt got angry when real estate investor Hamid Jahangard, 60 threw a golf ball at his Mercedes in a parking lot in 2019. Schmitt is accused of confronting Jahangard and then intentionally hitting him. Schmitt argued that he hit Jahangard accidentally after the two men started to argue, and that Jahangard also threw a trash can at his car.

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“Mr. Schmitt did not intend to kill or assault or otherwise harm Mr. Jahangard in any way. Mr. Jahangard’s death was a tragic accident,” defense attorney John Garland said.

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Prosecutors fired back by using body camera footage and testimony from several witnesses accusing Schmitt of giving conflicting testimonies to investigators at the scene. They also claimed that surveillance footage never showed Jahangard throwing a trash can.

“This defendant struck Mr. Jahangard with his Mercedes, breaking his left tibia and knocking him to the ground with such force that he fractured his skull. He sustained multiple cerebral contusions and hemorrhages ultimately causing his death,” prosecutor Pat Ducher said.

Schmitt was sentenced to life with parole Tuesday afternoon, he will not be eligible for parole until he is 81 years old.

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