Eagles’ Jalen Carter was driving on a suspended license when fatal crash occurred. What do we know?
Though the Eagles’ No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft is understandably focused on his future, it’s his past that may well be of greater importance here and now.
The situation surrounding the highly-rated DT’s recent past has become even murkier, with new details coming to light which further complicate the ongoing inquest into exactly what happened on the night that a car accident which he was involved in, claimed the life of one of his teammate’s and an analyst.
Jalen Carter was driving on suspended license
According to reports, the Philadelphia Eagles’ newest star and No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Jalen Carter was driving on a suspended license on the night of a fatal car crash which claimed the lives of his Bulldogs teammate and a recruiting staff member. To be clear, the 22-year-old had previously pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing for his part in the tragic incident which occurred on January 15th. It was alleged that Carter was the driver of a vehicle that was involved in a race with another car driven by recruiter Chandler LeCroy, 24 and teammate Devin Willock, 21. Both LeCroy and Willock were killed in the accident.
As a result, Carter was sentenced to a 12-month probation, fined $1,000 and ordered to perform 80 hours of community service. Interestingly, even though court documents indicate that he was driving on a suspended license, he was not in fact charged with the offense. It is understood that he lost his license due to a speeding ticket in 2022. Though he elected to participate in traffic school after receiving the ticket, he never actually did.
Jalen Carter is also facing a wrongful death lawsuit
Unfortunately for Carter, he is also now facing a wrongful death lawsuit which was recently filed by Dave Willock Sr., the father of Carter’s now deceased teammate, Devin Willock. Indeed, Carter has been named as a defendant in the suit which refers to two additional speeding incidents, including an another 2022 traffic stop which came as a result of Carter allegedly traveling at 89mph in a 45mph zone. The suit is seeking $40 million from the defendants, including $10 million from Carter specifically. That amount “represents what his son would have made if he had gotten to the NFL,” according to reports. Willock, an offensive lineman, appeared in every game Georgia played last season on their way to a national championship.
It’s worth noting, that Carter’s attorney, Kim Stephens, indicated that the defensive lineman would almost certainly have been charged for the alleged suspended license if records had reflected it, stating “the driver’s history that the solicitor’s office ran back in March of 2023 did not show any license suspension.” Regardless, Carter cannot be retroactively charged with an additional wrongdoing since the case regarding the January 15th accident is now closed. Despite repeated criticism of Carter’s character, the Eagles have repeatedly defended the rookie, stating that they performed extensive background work on the coveted Georgia product.