CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — The woman who witnessed a hit-and-run and is accused of tracking down the driver -- allegedly killing him -- will have to wait a little longer for her trial to begin.
Hannah Payne's trial was set to start Monday with jury selection, but it has been continued, documents show. Court officials said Payne's trial was delayed because of an apparent health emergency with a defense attorney. However, there was no proof of the illness so the judge found the attorney in contempt of court.
Payne is accused of killing 62-year-old Kenneth Herring in 2019. A grand jury indicted her for malice murder and other charges. According to Clayton County Police, a crash occurred on Clark Howell Highway near Interstate-285 on May 7 of that year. One of the drivers, Herring, allegedly left the scene.
Police said no one was hurt during the accident and there wasn't extensive damage. Payne allegedly witnessed the crash and followed Herring. The crash happened about a mile away from where Payne followed Herring. She allegedly confronted him and told him to return to the accident scene. Police said she called 911 to report the hit-and-run.
In testimonies from detectives from 2019, testified that a witness said Herring appeared to be in the middle of a medical emergency.
Payne allegedly shot Herring several times as he sat in the driver’s seat of his car, killing him.
This isn't the first time Payne's case has been postponed. It was also delayed a few years ago for several reasons including COVID-19 concerns, officials said. It's unclear what caused the case to be continued Monday. No new trial date has been set yet.
News happens fast. Download our 11Alive News app for all the latest breaking updates, and sign up for our Speed Feed newsletter to get a rundown of the latest headlines across north Georgia.