Authorities have charged former University of Georgia football star Jalen Carter, who is expected to be a top pick in the upcoming NFL draft, with reckless driving and racing after a crash claimed the lives of his teammate and a football staff member, according to police and WSB-TV.
The crash happened early Jan. 15. Police said recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy, who was driving a 2021 Ford Expedition, and Carter, who was driving a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, were traveling “in a manner consistent with racing” after they left downtown Athens around 2:30 a.m.
“The evidence demonstrated that both vehicles switched between lanes, drove in the center turn lane, drove in opposite lanes of travel, overtook other motorists, and drove at high rates of speed, in an apparent attempt to outdistance each other,” police said in a news release.
Authorities said that just before the crash, LeCroy reached speeds of about 104 mph. Investigators determined her blood alcohol concentration was at .197 — more than double the legal limit — at the time of the crash.
LeCroy, 24, and Georgia offensive lineman Devin Willock, 20, died in the crash, according to WSB. Two other members of the football program — three-year offensive tackle Warren McClendon, 21, and Victoria Bowles, 26 — were injured, the news station reported.
In a statement Wednesday, Georgia coach Kirby Smart called the charges announced against Carter “deeply concerning, especially as we are still struggling to cope with the devastating loss of two beloved members of our community.”
“We will continue to cooperate fully with the authorities while supporting these families and assessing what we can learn from this horrible tragedy,” he said.
Carter is expected to be a top choice in the upcoming NFL Draft, according to the Athens Banner-Herald.
Police confirmed to WSB that they have been in contact with Carter’s representatives, who were making arrangements to have him turn himself in. The 21-year-old had been scheduled to speak at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, though he did not, according to WSB.
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