Jalen Carter, a former Georgia star defensive lineman and top 2023 NFL draft prospect, was wanted for being associated with a fatal crash on January 15.
The NY Post reports that on March 1, Police issued arrest warrants for Carter, who they claim was racing and driving carelessly in the collision that claimed the lives of one of his colleagues and a team staff member.
According to an investigation by the Athens-Clarke County Police, Carter was operating a 2021 Jeep Trackhawk “in a manner consistent with racing” the morning that Georgia players Devin Willock, 20, and Chandler LeCroy, 24, passed away.
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“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,” the Athens-Clarke County Police Department said in a release Wednesday morning.
According to additional evidence, LeCroy’s car was “going at roughly 104 miles per hour” just prior to the collision. Carter, who was in attendance at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis when his arrest warrants were made public, is accused of racing and dangerous driving.
Carter asserted that various media reports had disseminated “inaccurate” information about the disaster in a message posted on Twitter.
Carter stated in part,
“This morning I received a call from the Athens, Georgia, police department alerting me that two misdemeanor warrants have been filed against me for racing and careless driving.
“Numerous media reports with false information on the sad events of January 15, 2023 have also been circulating this morning. I intend to go back to Athens to address the misdemeanor accusations brought against me and to make sure the whole truth is told. In my opinion, I will be completely cleared of any criminal activity once all the information is available.
— Jalen Carter (@breadmanjalen) March 1, 2023
After the Bulldogs won their second consecutive national championship, the fatal accident happened shortly after. LeCroy’s blood alcohol level, according to the warrant’s details, was.197 at the time of the collision, which was far higher than Georgia’s.08 legal limit. A report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution claims that Carter initially told police he was approximately a mile distant from the collision before changing his story and said he was following the automobile when it collided.
The police report claims that Carter fled the crash scene and returned 90 minutes later, despite the fact that he allegedly claimed to be next to the other car during the investigation.
Between 2020 and 2022, Carter participated in three seasons at the University of Georgia. He made 32 total tackles last year, 16 of which were solo and the other 16 were assisted. Also, he recorded two forced fumbles and three sacks. Carter recorded 37 total tackles in 2021, with 17 of those being solo and the remaining 20 being assists. He also registered three sacks.
Here, you can see the special report on Carter’s suspected role in the collision.
Former Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Jalen Carter, one of the top prospects in the NFL draft, is facing criminal charges in connection with the crash that killed his teammate and a recruiting staff member. pic.twitter.com/euQkvZOj79
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) March 2, 2023
