Although he was charged with reckless driving, racing and other offenses, he will not be sentenced.
Former Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter has entered a deal with Athens-Clarke County solicitors and will not receive any jail time for his connection to a fatal January crash that killed two members of the Bulldogs’ football programKim T. Stephens, Carter’s lawyer, told multiple media outlets. Carter has agreed to a no contest plea and will be sentenced to 12 months probation and a $1,000 fine. Additionally, Carter will have to complete 80 hours of community service and take a driving test.
Carter was charged with reckless driving and racing, both misdemeanors. Devin Willock, offensive lineman, and Chandler LeCroy, recruiting analyst, were killed in a crash that left two others injured. Though initially thought to be a single-car crash, police announced on March 1 that they believed Carter and LeCroy were racing.
“We are happy that we were able to work with the solicitor general’s office to reach a resolution that was fair and just based on the evidence in this case,” Stephens said in the release. “Mr. Carter continues to grieve for the loss of his friends and continues to pray for their families, as well as for the continued healing for injured friends.”
The lawyer also definitively stated that Carter’s actions “did not cause the tragic accident.”
“If the the investigation had determined otherwise, Mr. Carter would have been charged with far more serious offenses of vehicular homicide and serious injury,” the statement read.
It was also reported in the The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that, at the beginning of the investigation, Carter told police that he was nearly a mile away from the car when the crash happened, However, he later said he was close enough to see the car’s tail lights and acknowledged he was alongside the other car. Police said LeCroy’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.197 at the time of the incident, and investigators determined “that alcohol impairment, racing, reckless driving and speed were significant contributing factors to the crash.”
Stephens stated that Carter was not drunk or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Additionally, the statement said Carter never left the accident scene without being told he could leave. Carter pulled over in front of the wrecked vehicle and his passenger called 911.
“Even after being informed that he could leave, Mr. Carter returned to the scene at the request of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department to answer additional questions and continued to cooperate in the investigation,” Stephens said.
Carter was scheduled to speak at NFL combine. News of the charges broke shortly before Carter left Athens. He would go on to work out for all 32 teams at Georgia’s pro day, but only took part in position drills. He did not finish the drills and didn’t participate in other aspects of the workout, including the 40-yard dash, cone drills and other physical tests. He also weighed in at 323 pounds—nine pounds heavier than his weight at the combine.
