Former Georgia star Jalen Carter pleaded no contest earlier this month to charges of reckless driving and racing, and some footage from the night of the incident has been released.
Carter had a warrant issued for his arrest in Athens, Ga., on March 1 on misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing. Police said investigators determined that Carter and Georgia recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy were “operating their vehicles in a manner consistent with racing” early on the morning of Jan. 15. Evidence indicated that the Ford Expedition LeCroy was driving crashed at a speed of 104 mph.
LeCroy and former Georgia offensive lineman Devin Willock died in the crash.
Carter has maintained that he did not cause the fatal wreck. He did, however, plead no contest to charges of reckless driving and racing. Body cam footage that was released by police in Athens shows that Carter denied he was racing. He also left the scene and had to be called back, though his attorney has said he had permission to do so.
Carter was asked multiple times to estimate how far he was driving behind the vehicle that was driven by LeCroy. He said he was close enough to see the tail lights but could not give a rough estimate of how far behind. Carter also said he was following the other vehicle to a nearby Waffle House.
You can see the video below, with the Carter conversation beginning at around the 3:17 mark:
Carter took a phone call at one point during the conversation. He told the person on the other line that he felt like police were trying to get him to admit to something. The officer who was interviewing Carter told the defensive lineman that he was not being accused of anything but admitted to being a witness, so his account of what happened was important.
At one point, Carter was viewed as the best non-quarterback prospect in the upcoming draft. He may still be taken in the top 10, but the legal issues and his unimpressive Pro Day have likely hurt his stock. At least one team has reportedly taken Carter off their draft board.
In 13 games last season, Carter had 32 tackles including three sacks. He helped lead Georgia to a second consecutive national championship.
