TOP NFL DRAFT PROSPECT BOOKED AND CHARGED WITH RACING IN FATAL CRASH
Former Georgia DT Jalen Carter was booked on Wednesday night at 11:33 pm ET on misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing on highway/streets in connection with a January 15th crash that claimed the life of a teammate and a member of Georgia’s staff.
Athens-Clarke County Police Department secured arrest warrants for Carter earlier on Wednesday, March 1st, and had him in custody by the evening. A statement from Athens-Clarke County PD read: “As a result of the ongoing investigation into the January 15, 2023, fatal crash that occurred in the 900 block of Barnett Shoals Road, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department has secured arrest warrants for Jalen Carter, 21, for Reckless Driving and Racing.”
“The investigation found that Chandler LeCroy, driver of the 2021 Ford Expedition, and Jalen Carter, driver of a 2021 Jeep Trackhawk, were operating their vehicles in a manner consistent with racing shortly after leaving the downtown Athens area at about 2:30 am.”
The statement went on to say that both Carter and LeCroy, a 24-year-old recruiting analyst for Georgia, 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 attempt to outdistance each other.
The police announcement came just hours after a report by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution confirmed that Carter had been at the scene of the crash and had left before the police or emergency medical workers arrived. According to the report, Carter gave “shifting reports” to the police when asked about whether he had been racing the car that crashed.
According to Athens-Clarke County PD, the Ford Expedition was traveling at about 104 miles per hour shortly before the crash. A toxicology report taken at the time of the crash also indicated .197 of alcohol concentration in the blood of LeCroy – more than twice the legal limit in Georgia – and investigators determined alcohol impairment, racing, reckless driving, and speed among the contributing factors to the crash.
The fatal crash resulted in the death of both LeCroy and Devin Willock, a 20-year-old redshirt sophomore who played offensive lineman for Georgia. Willock’s teammate, Warren McClendon, a 21-year-old offensive lineman who had just recently declared for the 2023 draft, and another recruiting analyst, Tory Bowles, 26, were in the same vehicle and survived the accident.
Carter, one of the top prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft, posted a $4,000 bond while in custody on Wednesday night and was effectively released from Athens-Clark County Jail at 11:49 pm. An arraignment hearing was set for April 18th.
The former Bulldog was in medicals at the Combine on Wednesday morning and did not take part in interviews before traveling back to Athens to meet with the police.
Carter released a statement in the afternoon that read: “This morning I received a telephone call from Athens Georgia Police Department informing me that two misdemeanor warrants have been issued against me for reckless driving and racing.”
“Numerous media reports also have circulated this morning containing inaccurate information concerning the tragic events of January 15, 2023. It is my intention to return to Athens to answer the misdemeanor charges against me and to make certain that the complete and accurate truth is presented. There is no question in my mind that when all of the facts are known that I will be fully exonerated of any criminal wrongdoing.”
After posting his bail in Athens on Wednesday, Carter traveled back to Indianapolis for the Combine on Thursday to work out with other D-lineman prospects.
As per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, several teams spoke to Carter at the Combine this week and his off-the-field issues didn’t come up. Teams were reportedly unaware of Carter’s apparent involvement in the January 15 fatal crash as news of the two misdemeanor charges only broke on Wednesday morning.
Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart commented on Carter’s legal situation in a statement, saying: “The charges announced today are 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.”
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero
Photo: Jason Duhon. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.