New evidence in Macon car crash death revealed suspect not at fault, lawyer says
.jpg "Previously unseen bodycam footage in a Macon vehicular manslaughter case led to charges against a suspect being dismissed this week.")
The case against a man charged in a 2022 vehicular manslaughter was dropped this week in light of new evidence, according to Bibb County court records.
Godfrey Dewayne Gay was released from jail after his driving under the influence, reckless driving, and homicide by vehicle charges were dismissed Wednesday, according to Jeff Banks, his attorney.
The case stemmed from a car wreck that led to the death of Angela Dawn White, 62, on Sept 1, 2022.
Gay had been held in jail for the past three and a half years, Banks said.
Though Gay was indicted on suspicion of being the driver, “previously unknown body camera footage from officers who were not identified in the lead investigator’s report” revealed he was actually the passenger, court records showed.
“This additional footage clearly shows the clothing worn by Mr. Gay and Ms. White on the night in question,” court records said. “When this information is compared with the available surveillance footage, it establishes that the individual wearing white, identified as Mr. Gay, was seated in the passenger seat at the time of the collision.”
Previous reporting stated White was driver
The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office initially said White was driving northbound on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in a Kia Soul when she slammed into the back of a Nissan Rogue that slowed down ahead of her, according to previous Telegraph reporting.
White’s car “collided into the back of the Nissan, causing the Nissan to roll over,” the news release from deputies said at the time.
However, Gay was indicted twice in connection to the incident.
Both those indictments accused him of driving the Kia Soul at an “excessive speed” while high on cocaine, according to the indictment. Both of those factors reportedly led to White’s death.
Banks told The Telegraph that an anonymous tip led law enforcement and prosecutors to arrest Gay in connection with the incident, but was unable to provide further information.
