Eagles rookie Jalen Carter sued by former University of Georgia recruiting staffer over fatal car wreck
Carter faces a second civil lawsuit related to a deadly incident in which he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing.
Eagles rookie Jalen Carter is among those being sued by a former University of Georgia recruiting staffer for the player’s involvement in a January car crash that killed two people.
Victoria Bowles, who suffered injuries in the incident as a backseat passenger in a vehicle driven by a fellow recruiting staffer, alleged negligence in the complaint filed Tuesday in Gwinnett County, Ga. Besides Carter, Bowles also listed as defendants the Georgia Athletic Association, the estate of Chandler LeCroy — the driver who was killed in the incident along with offensive lineman Devin Willock — and five unidentified individuals.
Police accused Carter of racing the SUV driven by LeCroy when the accident occurred.
According to court records, Bowles alleged that Carter illegally left the scene of the crash, failing to try to offer aid to the accident victims. Carter also was named a defendant in a separate civil suit filed by Willock’s father, Dave Willock Sr., who similarly alleged that Carter unlawfully left the scene and is seeking $40 million in damages.
“As Defendant Carter was aware at the time, he was jointly responsible for the crash, and had a legal duty to remain on the scene,” the lawsuit filed by Bowles said. “Instead, in part obviously fearful of bad publicity and the effect on his NFL draft status, he hoped not to be questioned or take any responsibility for his actions.”
Ahead of this year’s NFL draft, Carter pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing related to the incident. Carter was sentenced to 12 months probation, a $1,000 fine, and 80 hours of community service. He also was assigned to complete a state-approved defensive driving course.
Carter concluded his final season at Georgia with Associated Press first-team All-American and All-Southeastern Conference honors. The Eagles, led by chief security officer Dom DiSandro, said they did their due diligence on the incident and Carter, and the team traded up to select the 22-year-old defensive tackle with its top pick at No. 9 overall.
“We take that part very seriously. ... We understand that all these players, they need to be developed,” Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said on April 28. “They’re coming into the league at a very young age. They’re not finished products. I think all of us when we were 21 and 22 hopefully have grown a lot from that time, and you just really want to get to know the person and what’s in their heart.”
Carter and the Eagles are expected to report for the start of training camp on July 25.