Jalen Carter, one of the brightest young stars in college football, tipped for a major top-five NFL Draft pick, has turned himself in after a fatal car accident left two people dead, a teammate and support staff. Carter was reportedly driving the car.
Carter, 21, turned himself in at the Athens-Clarke County Jail on Wednesday after arrest warrants were issued against him for the car accident which happened in January and killed teammate Devil Willcock and a team staffer. He was released on the same night after posting bail, jail record shows.
“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.”
Jalen Carter
Carter, who is a defensive lineman for the University of Georgia and is regarded as one of the brightest young prospects in the college football circuit, has been charged with reckless driving and racing.
According to the arrest warrant, Carter was racing his 2021 Jeep Trackhawk against the 2021 Ford Expedition driven by one Chandler LeCroy which led to the accident. LeCroy also lost his life in the accident. The warrant further notes that Carter and LeCroy were “operating their vehicles in a manner consistent with racing” and they kept switching lanes and drove at high speed “in an apparent attempt to outdistance each other.”
Police authorities claim that Carter was driving at a speed of 104 miles per hour and was mildly intoxicated. “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 Athens-Clarke County Police Department said.
Carter issued a statement on Twitter after the warrant denying the charges leveled against him and said that he expected to be fully exonerated when all facts come out. “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.”
