Why did driver plow into crowd?

No one disputes James Alex Fields Jr. plowed his car into a crowd of counterprotesters at a white nationalist rally in Virginia last year, killing a woman and injuring dozens more.

The only question, jurors were told Thursday, is why did he do it?

During opening statements at his murder trial, prosecutors and defense lawyers painted two starkly different pictures of what prompted Fields — a 21-year-old reputed Hitler admirer — to drive his gray Dodge Challenger into a crowd of people in Charlottesville on Aug. 12, 2017.

Prosecutor Nina-Alice Antony told the jury that Fields was angry after fighting broke out earlier that day between white nationalists who came to Charlottesville to protest the planned removal of a statute of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and others who came to protest against them.

Defense attorney John Hill agreed there’s no doubt Fields drove the car that careened into the crowd, but Hill said it happened after hours of violent clashes between white nationalists and counterprotesters, including street brawling, people throwing bottles and the use of tear gas and chemical sprays.

Hill said Fields eventually met up with two other people who will testify that he was not angry and appeared calm when he gave them a ride to their cars. A short time later, Fields drove into the crowd.

Hill told jurors they will hear testimony from a police officer who pulled Fields over after the crash. “You’ll hear James tell the officer that he feared for his safety, that he was scared to death,” he said. Fields also expressed remorse about the people who were hurt, Hill said.