Former UGA football player Jalen Carter responds to deadly crash lawsuit

CLARKE COUNTY, Ga. — A former University of Georgia football player responded to a lawsuit against him regarding a crash in early 2023 that killed two people.

UGA football star Devin Willock and recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy died in a Jan. 15 crash hours after the football program held a back-to-back championship parade in Athens.

Recruiting analyst Victoria Bowles and offensive lineman Warren McClendon survived the crash. They were sitting in the passenger seats behind LeCroy, who was driving the SUV, and Willock, who was in the front passenger seat.

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In July, Bowles and her attorneys filed a lawsuit in Gwinnett County State Court naming the UGA Athletic Association (UGAAA), former UGA football star Jalen Carter, the LeCroy estate and five John Doe defendants.

Bowles seeks reimbursement for more than $171,500 in medical bills and at least $3,443 in wage losses at the time of the filing and future wage losses. She also seeks damages for her “mental and physical pain and suffering, extreme emotional distress, and bad faith damages.”

Channel 2 Action News obtained a copy of Carter’s response to the lawsuit filed last week.

In response to one of Bowles’ allegations, the document claimed that Bowles observed LeCroy drink the night of the crash and “failed to exercise ordinary care for her own safety when she voluntarily assumed the risk of harm by riding in an automobile being driven by an obviously impaired and intoxicated driver [LeCroy].”

Read the full response below:

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On March 1, police announced misdemeanor reckless driving and racing charges against Carter in connection to the crash.

Carter’s attorney told Channel 2 Action News that Carter plead no contest to the traffic charges. Carter agreed to 12 months of probation, a $1,000 fine and 80 hours of community service. Additionally, he must complete a defensive driving course approved by the state.

Channel 2 Action News reached out to UGAAA and received the following statement regarding the lawsuit:

“We are continuing to review the complaint, as plaintiff’s counsel elected to share it with the media before sharing it with us. Based on our preliminary review, we dispute its claims and will vigorously defend the Athletic Association’s interests in court.

“We stand by our prior statements regarding this matter.

“The complaint does not allege that Ms. LeCroy and Ms. Bowles were on duty or acting within the scope of their employment in the hours leading up to the accident. It claims that on some previous occasions, recruiting staff were permitted to take rental vehicles home and return them the next morning. This does not mean, however, that they were allowed to use the car for any purpose. Recruiting vehicles were to be used during recruiting activities only, personal use of the vehicles was prohibited, and recruiting staff therefore were not authorized to use the rental vehicle for their purely personal activities on the night of the accident or any other time. Under no circumstances were recruiting staff authorized to use rental cars to drive at excessive speeds while intoxicated.

“While we have patiently supported Ms. Bowles during her long and difficult recovery, we will strongly defend our position in this lawsuit.”

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Bowles’ attorney, Rob Buck, sent a statement as well, saying:

“Tory is deeply saddened by the loss of Devin and Chandler. She greatly appreciates the continued prayers, love and support she is receiving during her difficult recovery. She would like to express her gratitude to her entire medical team, as well as Ron Courson who has worked with Tory and her physical injuries on a daily basis. Tory is disappointed that the Association and its insurers have forced her to resort to litigation to address her life-altering injuries.”

Bowles is not the first to file a lawsuit about January’s deadly crash. Willock’s father is suing UGAAA and several staff members, LeCroy’s estate, Carter, Sarchione Auto and Toppers International strip club.

According to the documents, Willock’s father, Dave Willock, and the Willock estate are seeking $30 million from the defendants in compensatory damages and an additional $10 million in punitive damages from Carter.

Carter is now a defensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles.

IN RELATED NEWS:

Father of UGA player killed in crash files $40M lawsuit against athletic association, Jalen Carter

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