Sad news for Georgia Bulldogs: He is back

Jalen Carter, an ex-Georgia football star, turns himself in following a horrific crash.

Jalen Carter, a former University of Georgia football standout and top NFL prospect, turned himself in lateGeorgia Bulldogs Wednesday night on charges stemming from his alleged role in a January automobile wreck that killed a teammate and a team staff member. Police had issued an arrest warrant for him.

Carter, 21, is charged with reckless driving and racing, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department stated earlier on Wednesday.

According to Athens-Clarke County Jail records, Carter surrendered at 11:33 p.m. and was released just before midnight on a $1,500 bond for reckless driving and a $2,500 bond for racing.

He is charged in connection with what was previously described as a single-vehicle crash near the school’s campus on January 15 that killed fellow Georgia football player Devin Willock and team staff member Chandler LeCroy.

LeCroy, a 24-year-old recruiting analyst for the Bulldogs football team and University of Georgia graduate, was driving when the vehicle “left the roadway, striking two power poles and several trees” at roughly 2:45 a.m., according to police in a statement released immediately after the accident.

Willock, the Bulldogs’ 20-year-old offensive lineman, was in the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene. LeCroy was taken to a local hospital, where she died from her injuries, according to authorities.

A subsequent investigation discovered that LeCroy, driving a 2021 Ford Expedition, and Carter, driving a 2021 Jeep Trackhawk, “were operating their vehicles in a manner consistent with racing” prior to the fatal incident, police said Wednesday. Both vehicles left downtown Athens around 2:30 a.m. and proceeded to swap lanes, drive in the center turn lane, and drive “in opposite lanes of travel” while overtaking other motorists and driving at high speeds, “in an apparent attempt to outdistance each other.”

Willock, the Bulldogs’ 20-year-old offensive lineman, was in the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene. LeCroy was taken to a local hospital, where she died from her injuries, according to authorities.

A subsequent investigation discovered that LeCroy, driving a 2021 Ford Expedition, and Carter, driving a 2021 Jeep Trackhawk, “were operating their vehicles in a manner consistent with racing” prior to the fatal incident, police said Wednesday. Both vehicles left downtown Athens around 2:30 a.m. and proceeded to swap lanes, drive in the center turn lane, and drive “in opposite lanes of travel” while overtaking other motorists and driving at high speeds, “in an apparent attempt to outdistance each other.”

Athens-Clarke County police announced Wednesday that evidence indicated LeCroy’s vehicle was traveling at about 104 mph before the disaster, and that her blood alcohol percentage was 0.197 at the time of the accident.

“Investigators determined that alcohol impairment, racing, reckless driving, and speed were significant contributing factors to the crash,” according to the police.

According to CBS Sports, Carter left the scene of the incident before returning about an hour later to offer testimonies to authorities. According to the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, Carter allegedly misled prosecutors about his whereabouts at the time of the collision, initially claiming to be a mile away and later admitting to being there.

Kirby Smart, the head football coach at the University of Georgia, replied to the arrest warrants in a statement issued Wednesday morning.

“The charges announced today are deeply concerning, especially as we are still struggling to cope with the devastating loss of two beloved members of our community,” Smart said in a statement. “We will continue to cooperate fully with the authorities while supporting these families and assessing what we can learn from this horrible tragedy.”

Carter is widely regarded as one of the top talents in the 2019 NFL Draft, with many experts predicting a top-five selection, according to CBS Sports.

He received unanimous All-America accolades following a great junior season at Georgia. Carter recorded seven tackles for loss and three sacks from