KC Chiefs’ Rashee Rice faces 8 criminal charges related to Dallas hit-and-run crash

Police in Dallas have issued an arrest warrant for Kansas City Chiefs football player Rashee Rice in relation to a hit-and-run crash in the city March 30, authorities announced in a news release Wednesday.

Two vehicles rented by Rice were involved in the crash, a Lamborghini and a Corvette, according to his attorney and police. The crash injured at least four people, sending two to the hospital.

Rice is facing eight charges, according to police: six counts of collision causing bodily injury, one count of collision causing serious bodily injury and one count of aggravated assault.

Texas State Sen. Royce West, Rice’s attorney, did not immediately respond to a Star-Telegram phone call requesting comment.

Another man, 21-year-old Theodore Knox, is also facing the same eight charges resulting from the crash, according to the news release from police.

Knox was driving the Corvette, while Rice was driving the Lamborghini, police said. Knox, who goes by Teddy, is a cornerback on the Southern Methodist University Mustangs’ football team roster.

Knox’s attorney, Deandra Grant, said he has “cooperated fully with law enforcement” and she had no further comment.

Rice also attended SMU. A university spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Star-Telegram has requested copies of the arrest warrants for both Rice and Knox.

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Rice, the 23-year-old wide receiver from North Richland Hills, and Knox are not yet in police custody, according to the Wednesday release. Dallas police usually give suspects a day to turn themselves in after a warrant is issued.

Four passengers who were in the two luxury sports cars won’t be charged, police said.

A police report obtained by WFAA-TV said 10.8 grams of suspected marijuana — less than an ounce — was found in the Lamborghini that Rice had been driving. No charges have announced in connection with the marijuana.

Under Texas law, aggravated assault is a second-degree felony which can be punishable by two to 20 years in prison if convicted. Collision causing serious bodily injury in a hit-and-run accident is a third-degree felony, which can carry a sentence of two to 10 years. Collision causing injury can carry a sentence of up to a year in a county jail or up to five years in prison.

Without a criminal record, however, Rice and Knox likely could receive probation and not serve jail time if convicted.

The crash happened on North Central Expressway near University Boulevard around 6:25 p.m., according to police. The Corvette and Lamborghini were speeding in the far left lane of the highway when both drivers lost control and Rice veered onto the shoulder and hit the median wall, investigators have said. The Lamborghini and Corvette struck four other vehicles in a chain-reaction crash, police said.

After the crash, everyone in the two speeding vehicles got out in the middle of the highway and fled, according to Dallas police. Dash-camera video obtained by WFAA showed the crash happening.

West declined to answer a reporter’s question at an April 4 news conference about why Rice and others with him left the scene of the crash. West repeated several times that Rice’s life and career shouldn’t be defined by this incident, which he called a mistake.

“Here you have a young man, 23 years old, never been involved in anything like this,” West said. “People were injured, his heart goes out to them, and he’s watching his whole life play out in the media … and then his career also, but basically his whole life. Again, don’t judge him just based on this incident.”

Marc Lenahan, an attorney representing one woman injured in the crash, told the Star-Telegram he trusts West intends to follow through on the promise to make the victims whole, at least to the best of Rice’s ability.

Exemplary damages, which in lawsuits are meant to discourage others from taking similar actions, typically have a legal limit. But there are some cases where that limit doesn’t apply.

Lenahan said that criminal charges such as aggravated assault could mean that any lawsuits would become too expensive for Rice to pay. Injuries to children also would eliminate the statutory limits for exemplary damages, he said.

Rice, who also played football for Richland High School in North Texas, said in a statement on Instagram last week, “I take full responsibility for my part in this matter and will continue to cooperate with the necessary authorities. I sincerely apologize to everyone impacted in Saturday’s accident.”