Potential No. 1 NFL Draft pick Jalen Carter charged in connection with fatal car crash

Jalen Carter, the possible No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, was involved in a car crash in January that killed one of his teammates and a team support staffer, according to police.

Carter, 21, was racing through the streets of Athens, Ga., alongside a car driven by recruiting coordinator Chandler LeCroy that also carried Georgia teammate Devin Willock, Athens police said.

LeCroy was driving 104 mph shortly before she struck a curb and her vehicle went airborne. LeCroy and Willock were killed in the crash, and two passengers were injured. According to police, Carter drove away from the scene.

Carter was a superstar defensive lineman for the Georgia Bulldogs during his three years in college, powering the team to 2021 and 2022 national titles. Before Wednesday’s news, he was the No. 1 draft prospect in ESPN’s rankings.

Surveillance video showed Carter, LeCroy, Willock and other teammates leaving an Athens nightclub around 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 15, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. They had spent the prior day celebrating their most recent championship.

LeCroy drove a 2021 Ford Expedition that carried Willock and two others. Carter drove a 2021 Jeep Trackhawk.

On their way from the club to a Waffle House, “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,” police said Wednesday.

LeCroy’s blood-alcohol level was 0.197, according to police. Investigators said Carter did not appear to be drunk.

Though he drove away at first, Carter returned to the scene about 90 minutes later to speak with officers, the Journal-Constitution reported. However, he initially told police he was only near the crash and did not mention the race, according to charging documents.

Carter was formally charged with reckless driving and racing, both misdemeanors.