Father of Georgia player Devin Willock sues school, Jalen Carter for $40M in fatal crash
Devin Willock's father filed a lawsuit against the University of Georgia Athletic Association and first-round draft pick Jalen Carter, among others on Tuesday.
Dave Willock is seeking $40 million in civil court in Gwinnett County, Georgia after his son, an offensive lineman at Georgia, and recruiting assistant Chandler LeCroy were killed in a January car crash. Last month, he notified the school of his intentions to seek $2 million in damages because he said the athletic department acted "negligently" in allowing LeCroy to drive the SUV after a night of partying and with a driving record of multiple speeding tickets.
Police said that LeCroy was racing against an SUV driven by Carter late at night after the team celebrated their national championship win. They said she was driving at 104 mph and had a blood alcohol concentration of .197, more than twice the state's legal limit. Recruiting staffer Tory Bowles and offensive lineman Warren McClendon were also in the car at the time and were injured in the crash and survived.
"(LeCroy) was reckless, negligent, negligent per se, wilful, wanton and consciously indifferent to consequences in her operation of that vehicle while her judgment was substantially impaired by alcohol," the lawsuit states, noting that the vehicle she was driving, a Ford Expedition, was leased by the athletic department and assigned to her for work-related activities.
Others listed as defendants in the case are Sarchione Automotive, Inc. – which gave Carter the Jeep Trackhawk he was driving as part of an NIL deal – and Toppers International Showbar, the strip club where LeCroy was taking shots prior to the crash.
Carter was selected No. 9 overall by the Philadelphia Eagles in last month's NFL draft. Prior to the draft, the defensive lineman pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of racing and reckless driving. His sentence did not include jail time, but he is required to serve 12 months of probation and 50 hours of community service, pay a $1,000 fine and participate in a defensive driving course.
— Contributing: Marc Weiszer for the Athens Banner-Herald
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jalen Carter, Georgia sued by dad of football player killed in crash
