Jalen Carter, the former defensive lineman for the Georgia Bulldogs and a top NFL draft prospect, has been charged with racing and reckless driving. On the night of Jan. 15,  Carter was racing against the University of Georgia’s recruiting staffer, Chandler LeCroy. Devin Wollock, Georgia’s offensive lineman, was riding along the passenger side with LeCroy. Devastatingly enough, this small “joy ride” turned fatal. At the time of the crash, police believed that the accident was only a single car accident.

However, on Wednesday, March 1, Carter’s warrant for arrest was sent out. Within that same night, Carter was booked for his two misdemeanors at 11:33 PM and then shortly released at 11:49 PM. Carter had a bond of 4,000 dollars for both of his misdemeanors. Carter states his innocence, and takes his words to Twitter. He said he fully expects all of his criminal charges to be exonerated and that he is returning to Georgia to answer the misdemeanor charges against him to make certain that the complete and accurate truth is presented. 

Along with Carter speaking out, his former coach Kirby Smart had something to say. “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,” Smart said in a statement. “We will continue to cooperate fully with the authorities while supporting these families and assessing what we can learn from this horrible tragedy.”

Dating back to that night in January, evidence shown states that both Carter and LeCroy were operating separate vehicles. Carter, his 2021 Jeep Trackhawk, and LeCroy, his 2021 Ford Expedition. Before the crash, LeCroy’s vehicle reached a peak speed of 104 miles per hour. 

“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.

Shortly after, police determined that the accident contributed mainly to alcohol impairment and reckless driving. LeCroy’s toxicology report showed the investigators that his blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was 0.197. This is around double the legal BAC for a person to be determined as drunk in the state of Georgia. 

According to officers, there were two vehicles that drove by the crash, including Carter’s Jeep. Two hours later, he returned to the scene and was questioned by officers whether or not he was involved in the racing. Originally, Carter told officers that he heard the accident from an apartment complex nearby. Later on he stated he was racing beside him. 

The crash sadly occurred after a back-to-back championship win; the victory joy ride came to an upsetting ending.