Former UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Bones Jones avoided jail time today after reaching a plea deal for a felony charge of leaving the scene of an accident. Jones’ guilty plea will require him to submit to 18 months of supervised probation and 72 hours of community service.
Jones was accused of fleeing the scene after running a red light and colliding with a vehicle driven by a pregnant woman in New Mexico. The woman suffered a broken arm in the accident. Jones’ felony will be expunged if he fully completes the conditions of his probation.
After the court proceedings, Jones issued the following statement, “With regards to today’s decision made by the court, I am very happy to now be able to put this incident behind me. My actions have caused pain and inconvenience in the lives of others and for that I am truly sorry and I accept full responsibility. I have been working hard during this time away from my sport to grow and mature as a man and to ensure that nothing like this happens again. I am not sure what the future holds for me, but I plan to continue to do the work needed to be productive and successful in every aspect of my life”.
Jones was extremely fortunate to have received such a lenient punishment. But has he learned his lesson? Unfortunately, this situation is one of many which gives the appearance that Jones’ life was spiraling out of control. Prior to this hit-and-run accident, he had DUI in 2012 and tested positive for cocaine in 2014, which led to a one-day stay in rehab. Hopefully he is receiving the help he needs before being considered for reinstatement into the UFC.
