Jalen Carter arrest: Warrant out for top NFL draft prospect in relation to fatal car crash
Chris Irvine
Jalen Carter, the star defensive tackle for the Georgia Bulldogs and a potential No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NFL draft, is the subject of an arrest warrant in relation to a car crash that resulted in the death of a former teammate and UGA staffer.
Carter, 21, who is in Indianapolis for the NFL Combine, was scheduled to speak to the media at 10.30 a.m. ET but never took to the podium.
Athens-Clarke County Police Department secured warrants for Carter’s arrest on charges of Reckless Driving and Racing related to an incident on January 15, 2023. Both charges are misdemeanors, an Athens-Clarke County spokesman told The Athletic’s Georgia football writer Seth Emerson.
The ACCPD said in a statement that its investigation determined Carter, driver of a 2021 Jeep Trackhawk, and Chandler LeCroy, driver of a 2021 Ford Expedition, were “operating their vehicles in a manner consistent with racing shortly after leaving the downtown Athens area at about 2:30 AM.”
The toxicology report found LeCroy’s blood alcohol concentration was .197 percent at the time of the crash. The legal limit in Georgia is .08 percent. Police had said evidence indicated LeCroy was driving the Expedition at about 104mph.
LeCroy, who was a Georgia recruiting staffer, and offensive lineman Devin Willock were killed in the crash, while offensive tackle Warren McClendon and recruiting staffer Tori Bowles were injured, according to the Athens Banner-Herald.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.