An arrest warrant has been issued for University of Georgia Defensive Tackle Jalen Carter. The Athens-Clarke County Police Department believes Carter was involved in a car race that resulted in the death of his teammate, Kevin Wilock, and Chandler LeCroy, a recruiting staffer at the University of Georgia. Carter was scheduled to speak at the NFL Combine at approximately 10:30 a.m. EST, but it is unclear if he will do so.
The incident in question took place in the early hours of January 15, 2023 on the 900 block of Barnett Shoals Road in Athens, Georgia. Authorities claim LeCroy was driving a 2021 Ford Expedition and Carter was driving a 2021 Jeep Trackhawk at speeds above 100 miles per hour in traffic when the crash occurred. Initial toxicology reports also suggest that LeCroy was intoxicated at the time his vehicle crashed. As a result, authorities wish to arrest and charge Carter with reckless driving and racing.
“The investigation found that Chandler LeCroy, driver of the 2021 Ford Expedition, and Jalen Carter, driver of a 2021 Jeep Trackhawk, were operating their vehicles in a manner consistent with racing shortly after leaving the downtown Athens area at about 2:30 AM,” a statement from the ACCPD reads.
“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. Evidence indicated that shortly before the crash the Expedition was traveling at about 104 miles per hour.”
Moving forward, the case will be transferred to the Solicitor General’s Office. Early reports suggest that street racing in the state of Georgia carries a charge of up to one year in jail with a fine of up to $1,000. However, it is unclear how the deaths of two people would impact any legal proceedings or potential sentence.
Carter is a 6’3, 300-pound defensive tackle from the state of Florida. During the 2022-2023 season, Carter helped the Bulldogs win another championship while adding 16 solo tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles to his resumé. However, his impact on the field far exceeded his stats. In a recent mock draft, Todd McShay of ESPN projected the Bears to take Carter with the fourth overall pick. McShay has also gone as far as to say that Carter is the top overall talent in this year’s draft.
