Eagles

Jalen Carter: Two More Developments After Deadly Car Crash

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: May 12th, 2023 · 9:53 AM EDT

---

Jalen Carter is not yet in the clear following the January car crash that killed a UGA teammate and staffer.

Two developments over the last 24 hours, first, the revelation that he was driving on a suspended license (story via WSB-TV, which is basically the Action News of Atlanta) – 

Court records show that a former University of Georgia star was driving on a suspended license at the time of a crash that killed a teammate and a recruiting staff member in January.

Jalen Carter, 22, was arrested in March and charged with street racing and reckless driving in connection to the crash that killed Devin Willock, 20, and Chandler LeCroy, 24, just hours after the program held a celebration for its back-to-back national championships.

And second, Willock’s father filed a lawsuit in which Carter is named as a defendant. This from Travis Caldwell and Shawn Nottingham at CNN:

The father of a University of Georgia football player killed in a car crash has filed a lawsuit against the university’s athletic association and others, including first-round NFL draft pick and former teammate Jalen Carter.

The lawsuit from Dave Willock Sr., the father of Devin Willock, was filed in Gwinnett County, Georgia. Devin Willock was a passenger in an SUV allegedly racing with another vehicle driven by Jalen Carter near the university’s Athens campus on January 15, according to authorities, and was killed after the SUV went off the road and barreled into two power poles and several trees. The crash happened just hours after the team celebrated its national championship title at a victory parade.

Right, first things first –

Carter cannot be retroactively charged for the suspended license. He was not charged for that initially, and according to his attorney, it’s case closed in regard to that:

“With the case against Carter closed, he cannot retroactively be charged with another crime related to the Jan. 15 incident, (Kim) Stephens said.”

The lawsuit, meantime, seeks $40 million total and $10 million from Carter. Chandler LeCroy’s estate and the UGA Athletic Association are also named in the suit. Obviously we’ll have to see how it plays out. I am sure that the Eagles did their due diligence here and thought about the possibility that one of the victim’s family members could go this route, but in terms of prosecution and criminal charges, we’re long past that point. Carter originally pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 12 months probation with 80 hours of community service, and then had to do a driving course and pay a $1,000 fine.