Jalen Carter, who is widely projected to be a top-five prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft, has been charged with reckless driving and racing in conjunction with a crash that killed a teammate and a recruiting staff member at Georgia in January. At the time of the announcement, Carter is in Indianapolis at the NFL scouting combine. He was planning to meet with reporters as part of a media availability on Wednesday. However, a league spokesperson has since told reporters that Carter would not be speaking. They explained that he, as well as five other players, are still conducting physicals.
Lt. Shaun Barnett of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department says that Carter will address the charges when he returns to Georgia. Both reckless driving and racing are misdemeanors in the state. "It is my understanding that Mr. Carter is making arrangements to turn himself in," Barnett told The Associated Press.
Jalen Carter At Georgia
"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 police statement said. Police added that "alcohol impairment, racing, reckless driving, and speed were significant contributing factors to the crash."
Georgia coach Kirby Smart reacted to the news in a statement: "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."
The crash occurred after the Bulldogs celebrated winning back-to-back national championships. Carter was allegedly racing his 2021 Jeep Trackhawk against the aforementioned 24-year-old recruiting staffer, Chandler LeCroy, who was driving his 2021 Ford Expedition. Offensive lineman Devin Willock also died in the crash.
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