ATLANTA – Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who is predicted to be one of the top players in next month’s NFL draft, has been charged with reckless driving and racing in connection with the accident that killed offensive lineman Devin Willock and a recruiting staffer.
The Athens-Clarke County Police Department has issued an arrest warrant, obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, alleging Carter drove his 2021 Jeep Trackhawk into the 2021 Ford Expedition led by the recruiter, the 24- year-old Chandler LeCroy, was cited for Wreck on January 15th.
According to Lt. Shaun Barnett of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department was due Carter for the NFL scouting combine Wednesday in Indianapolis and is expected to address the warrant when he returns to Athens.
“As far as I know, Mr. Carter is making arrangements to turn himself in,” Barnett said in an email to the AP.
The crash came just hours after the Bulldogs celebrated their second straight national championship with a parade and ceremony that killed LeCroy and Willock.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart expressed his concerns about the charges in a statement released Wednesday.
“The charges announced today are deeply worrying as we continue to grapple with the devastating loss of two loved ones in our community,” Smart said.
“We will continue to work fully with the authorities, supporting these families and examining what we can learn from this terrible tragedy.”
According to the warrant, the Athens Police investigation found that LeCroy and Carter operated their vehicles “in a manner consistent with racing” after leaving downtown Athens around 2:30 a.m
The warrant says evidence shows the vehicles changed lanes, took the middle turn lane, entered oncoming lanes, passed other motorists and drove at high speed “in an apparent attempt to overtake one another.”
Shortly before the crash, police determined that LeCroy’s expedition was traveling at about 100 mph. The warrant states that LeCroy’s blood alcohol concentration at the time of the crash was 0.197. The legal limit in Georgia is 0.08.
20-year-old Willock was pronounced dead at the scene. LeCroy was taken to a hospital where she died from her injuries.
Offensive lineman Warren McClendon, who had just announced he would be drafted into the NFL, suffered minor injuries. Georgia football worker Victoria Bowles was hospitalized with serious injuries.
Georgia Department of Sports officials said Jan. 28 that the vehicle driven by LeCroy is expected to be used only for recruitment activitiesnot for personal use.
___
AP College Football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap_top25
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, transcribed or redistributed without permission.
