Eagles Jalen Carter Named in $40 Million Lawsuit By Crash Victim's Father
Philadelphia Eagles' rookie Jalen Carter is named in a $40 million lawsuit filed by the father whose son was killed in a car crash earlier this year.
Dave Willock Sr. is bringing the wrongful death suit against the University of Georgia athletic department, Carter and multiple company defendants. Willock Sr. also alleges negligent hiring and negligence in the accident that killed his son and Carter's college teammate, Devin.
A police investigation determined Carter and an SUV driven by Georgia staffer Chandler LeCroy were racing in the early morning hours of Jan. 15. LeCroy’s car crashed, killing her and her passenger, Willock, and injuring former Georgia player Warren McClendon and staffer Tory Bowles. The lawsuit alleges Carter had a “pattern of excessive speeding.” He was issued multiple speeding tickets during his time at Georgia, and was previously fined $1,013 for driving 90 miles per hour in a 45 zone.
LeCroy’s blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit, according to a toxicology report.
Carter pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor charges of racing and reckless driving and was sentenced to 12 months probation, fined $1,000, and required to complete 80 hours of community service. He also must complete a state-approved driving course.
The lawsuit also names the estate of LeCroy, Carchione Auto Group, which provided Carter with a 2021 Jeep Cherokee Trackhawk in a NIL deal, and the strip club, Toppers International Showbar, as defendants. The lawsuit seeks $30 million in compensatory damages and an additional $10 million in punitive damages from Carter.
The crash and subsequent fallout are only one of two red flags in Carter’s past.
The other was his conditioning levels which were not good enough to allow him to finish drills during his pro day on the campus of the University of Georgia. It was something addressed by head coach Nick Sirianni and Carter on the first day of the team’s rookie camp on May 5.
Obviously, the bigger issue is the crash that killed two people.
“We spent a lot of time investigating the incident around it,” said GM Howie Roseman on the night they made Carter the ninth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
“We talked to Jalen about a variety of things, and again, we're not going to get into what we talk to our players about. …But at the end of the day, nobody is hiding from the fact that a tragic event happened, and we'll do our very best to make sure that both these players develop every skill set they need to be successful.”
Carter signed a fully-guaranteed, four-year contract for $21.8 million a week after getting drafted.
Ed Kracz covers the Philadelphia Eagles for SI's EaglesToday.
Please follow him and our Eagles coverage on Twitter at @kracze.
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