In court, woman confronts driver responsible for her mom's death in car crash — her 3-word statement left attorneys speechless
Forgiving a person who has led to a major loss in one's life might not be the easiest thing. A woman, Staci Green, who lost her mom in a car collision, was facing a similar challenge when she faced the other driver in court. She was both angry and sad because of her loss and didn't know what to do. The other driver, Nikia Cherry, was driving at a speed of 73 miles per hour in a 45 miles per hour zone, according to the Atlanta police. She was charged with vehicular homicide, per CBS News.
Green's mom, Rosie Minor, was 76 years old and was killed in DeKalb County, Georgia, around the year 2020. The woman left behind four children and nine grandchildren. "Yes, I was consumed…anger, sadness, loss." Green expressed. She admitted that she wanted to see Cherry suffer. The driver pleaded guilty to speeding and vehicular homicide and was sentenced to 24 months of probation, 240 hours of community service and $2,500 in fines. Two attorneys, Jeb Butler and Tom Giannotti, represented Minor in the trial and wanted to keep the two sides apart from each other as much as possible. "I was worried that if they got together, the result would be incendiary. I was very pleasantly wrong," Butler remarked.
The families got together and made a $10 million settlement with Allstate, Cherry's auto insurance company. Minor used to work as an ordained minister and volunteered with the Georgia Department of Corrections to help inmates. She also founded a mentorship program for boys called Positive Growth. So when Green approached Cherry in the courtroom during the trial, she thought of her mother and told Cherry, "I forgive you." Those three words came as a big surprise to everyone present in the room. "And when I forgave her, it was like I was reborn again," Green expressed. Green didn't just give Cherry forgiveness, but also offered her friendship during the rough period in her life.
"She's like a God-momma to me. I talk to her every day," Cherry shared. The woman had lost everything because of the crash and was living in a motel at that time. "I am committed to her life getting better. So I've helped her with money for food…rent. I was her daughter's Secret Santa. I booked a trip for her to go to Miami for her 40th birthday," Green continued. Even the attorneys hadn't seen anything quite like what happened between the two women. "She's a remarkable person," Gianotti pointed out. "And all that's great. That separates conversation from conviction," Butler continued. "Staci didn't have to do that," Cherry expressed.
People commended Green's kindness in the comments section of the video. @woowoochuggachugga wrote, "There are people in my life I have not forgiven for what they did. Not one of them ever killed my mother. Thank you for this example, Miss Staci. You are truly an Angel. Busy day ahead, got lots of thinking and forgiving to attend to." @pecopicante4167 commented, "The fact that under such circumstances that they could 'forget the past but remember the lesson' she embodies a level of humanity that has easily been ignored. I wish nothing but the best for these ladies." @davidperalta876 remarked, "Lots of people think forgiveness is weakness…takes real strength to truly forgive, especially in a situation like this."