Athens-Clarke County Police say University of Georgia Football staffer Chandler LeCroy, who was driving in the fatal crash following the team’s championship parade, had more than twice the legal alcohol limit in her system and was racing in excess of 100 mph at the time of the crash.
“Evidence indicated that shortly before the crash the Expedition (driven by LeCroy) was traveling at about 104 miles per hour. The toxicology report indicated that LeCroy’s blood alcohol concentration was .197 at the time of the crash,” ACCPD said in a statement.
LeCroy And Jalen Carter Allegedly Were Racing On The Night Of The Crash
LeCroy being drunk and racing is significant evidence to come to light. It makes the single car crash easier to understand. We know LeCroy and others were at a strip club after the parade and before the crash. Presumably, it is the club where LeCroy consumed alcohol.
UGA star defensive lineman and projected first round pick in the upcoming NFL draft, Jalen Carter, was booked into jail late Wednesday night after a warrant for his arrest was previously issued for racing in connection to the January crash.
According to officials LeCroy, 24, and the 21-year-old Carter were “operating their vehicles in a manner consistent with racing shortly after leaving the downtown Athens area at about 2:30 a.m.”
“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 ACCPD statement said.
Carter was released on $4,000 bond and charged with misdemeanor reckless driving and racing in connection to the deadly crash.
UGA Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart released the following statement Wednesday:
“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.”
Carter Is A Top Pick In The Upcoming Draft
Carter has returned to the NFL combine taking place in Indianapolis as of Thursday and believes he will be fully exonerated of any criminal wrongdoing.
“This morning I received a telephone call from the Athens Georgia Police Department informing me that two misdemeanor warrants have been issued against me for reckless driving and racing,” he said. “Numerous media reports also have circulated this morning containing inaccurate information concerning the tragic events of January 15, 2023. It is my intention to return to Athens to answer the misdemeanor charges against me and to make certain that the complete and accurate truth is presented. There is no question in my mind that when all of the facts are known that I will be fully exonerated of any criminal wrongdoing.”
Will Carter Face Jail Time?
With the charges being misdemeanors it is unlikely Carter will be facing serious jail time, if any at all. Given the NFL’s track record it is also unlikely these charges impact his draft status.
Carolina Panthers GM Scott Fitterer, whose team picks No. 9 in the upcoming NFL Draft, told The Athletic there were “no issues” when they met with Carter on Monday.
“I did not know about the situation that came out this morning,” Fitterer said. “I got a text while we were in meetings. I have not talked to our staff. We came right from our interviews over here. But there will be a lot of things to look into. I just don’t want to jump to any conclusions. We’ll let it all play out and make a decision. Luckily, the draft’s not ’til April.”
Carter is 6 feet 3, 314 pounds and can get off the line of scrimmage and get after the QB. That’s a premium skill in the NFL. A long as teams believe he can do that well, there will be no problem.
