Racing star Jalen Carter was charged with the fatal accident

The crash that killed offensive lineman Devin Willock and a recruiting staff member has led to charges against Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter. Among the top picks in next month's NFL draft is Carter. According to an arrest warrant issued by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department issued Wednesday, Carter is accused of racing against a 2021 Ford Expedition driven by a recruiter, 24-year-old Chandler LeCroy, which resulted in the accident. 

Athens-Clarke County Police Lieutenant Shaun Barnett says Carter will address the arrest warrant when he returns to Athens from Indiana, where he attends the NFL's scouting combine. In an e-mail to the Associated Press, Barnett said that Carter was making arrangements to surrender.

His driving had been cited for recklessness

After missing all six scheduled media interviews at Wednesday's NFL combine, Carter expects to be acquitted of criminal charges. This morning, a phone call informed Carter that two misdemeanour warrants had been issued against him for reckless driving and racing. 

Several media reports containing inaccurate information about the tragic events of January 15, 2023, have also circulated this morning. To ensure that the complete and accurate truth is presented to the Athens court, I intend to return to Athens to answer the misdemeanour charges against me. It is without a doubt that I will be fully exonerated of any criminal wrongdoing once all of the facts have been uncovered.

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The Georgia coach released a statement

LeCroy and Willock were killed in the crash just hours after they celebrated the Bulldogs' second straight national title. A statement released Wednesday by Georgia coach Kirby Smart expresses his concern. Especially in light of the tragedy that has befallen the community recently, Smart says the charges announced today are deeply troubling. 

Our full cooperation with the authorities continues as we support these families and assess what lessons we can learn from this horrendous incident. Upon investigating LeCroy and Carter's vehicles after leaving downtown Athens around 2:30 in the morning, Athens police found them operating them in a manner consistent with racing.

Switched lanes to outdistance each other

According to the warrant, they allegedly outdistanced each other by switching lanes, driving in the turn lane, driving in opposite lanes, overtaking other motorists and driving at high speeds. As little as 104 mph (167 kph) before the crash, LeCroy's Expedition was travelling at about 104 mph (167 kph). 

He was speeding at about .197 at the time of the accident; the legal limit in Georgia is .08. A 20-year-old man named Willock died at the accident scene, while a 20-year-old woman named LeCroy died at the hospital. Georgia linebacker Nolan Smith was emotional when asked about Willock at Wednesday's scouting combine.

Inaugurating his NFL draft entry

Georgia football staffer Victoria Bowles suffered more severe injuries in the crash than offensive lineman Warren McClendon who was announcing his entry into the NFL draft. Several Georgia football players have recently been accused of speeding and reckless driving, including linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson, who led the team in tackles in 2022. 

A combined bond of $4,000 was posted by Dumas-Johnson on February 23 for alleged racing on highways/streets and reckless driving, according to Athens-Clarke County jail records. A spokesperson for the Georgia athletic department said on January 28 that LeCroy would use the vehicle for official business rather than personally. 

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