Absolutely true it could have been avoided by Zimmerman, good thing for him he was legally allowed to NOT avoid the situation and it has no bearing on the outcome. Just because you CAN avoid something, doesn't mean you HAVE to avoid something. It's meaningless to the case, he will possibly be convicted based on other facts, but not that one. That's why desert dude said "so what?" and he was exactly right.
How do you repeatedly follow someone when it's just one instance and you never stopped following? Did he do it on other occasions?
one instance? go read the reports.
zimm left his house in the southwest quadrant of the complex going north.
martin was coming from a cut through to the northwest of the zimm's path because the gates close at 7pm. contact #1.
zimm then takes his truck and parks it at the place he describes on the 911 call (past the mailboxes, make a left) directly in between martin and his path home. martin walks past the clubhouse, maybe stopping to take shelter for the rain while he talks to his girlfriend.
martin continues home and sees the guy who contacted him before now parked in between him and his path home, contact #2 is made, martin runs.
zimm had not just one, but TWO chances to identify himself to this "suspicious person", who is doing nothing more then walking home and talking on the phone using a headset.
after martin ran and lost zimm, he went back to talking on his phone, but his path home is still cut off by zimm. he tries to go home, but contact #3 is made with zimm now on the other side of his truck, following martin YET AGAIN.
"why are you following me?", martin asks.
"what are you doing here?" zimm angrily blurts back.
line drops. scuffle in grass ensues.
zimm never identified himself. ever. had 3 chances to do it.
ultimately avoidable by zimmerman means his actions caused the whole tragedy.
angela corey just set some pretty rigorous precedent, too. watch out.