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Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior Writer
ATHENS, Ga. — Victoria Bowles, who survived the fatal car wreck that killed a University of Georgia football player and recruiting staffer on Jan. 15, has filed a lawsuit against the UGA Athletic Association and Philadelphia Eagles rookie Jalen Carter, whom police accused of racing the SUV being driven by a recruiting staffer when it wrecked.
The lawsuit, filed in state court in Gwinnett County on Wednesday by Bowles, a former recruiting analyst for the university, accuses the UGA athletic association of negligence and contradicts public statements by Bulldogs football coach Kirby Smart and other officials, who have claimed that recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy shouldn’t have been driving the leased SUV when it left the road and struck trees and utility poles.
The crash occurred hours after Georgia celebrated its second straight national championship with an on-campus parade. After the wreck, the athletic association issued a statement that said in part that “rental vehicles were to be turned in at the immediate conclusion of recruiting duties.”
“On the evening of the Championship Celebration, LeCroy told Ms. Bowles that she [LeCroy] had ‘permission’ to keep the SUV ‘until tomorrow,'” the lawsuit said. “Numerous text messages from recruiting staff supervisors to LeCroy, Ms. Bowles and other staff members show the Association’s statement is false. Recruiting staff were regularly informed they could leave their personal vehicles overnight at the Butts-Mehre football facility and permissively use Association rental vehicles through a specified cut-off date and time, unrelated to their assigned recruiting activity duties.”
The lawsuit also alleges that the athletic association was negligent in allowing LeCroy to drive the SUV during her duties. Bowles’ lawyers contend that athletic officials were aware that “LeCroy had at least four speeding tickets, which included two ‘super speeder’ violations under Georgia law.” The lawsuit claims LeCroy’s supervisor was in the car when she received her most recent super speeder ticket on Oct. 30 while driving home from the Georgia-Florida game in Jacksonville, Florida.
The lawsuit said LeCroy’s SUV was traveling at least 104.2 mph when it crashed and had been racing another SUV driven by Carter for 45 seconds or less. Police said LeCroy’s blood alcohol concentration was .197, nearly 2½ times the legal limit in Georgia.
“The UGA Athletic Association would have reasonably concluded that LeCroy regularly drove at extreme speeds when law enforcement was not present,” the lawsuit said. “While LeCroy may have been legally intoxicated, the proximate cause of the crash was street racing and extreme speed. The Association’s negligent entrustment of the large rental SUV to LeCroy, with knowledge that she was a reckless and habitual speeder, concurs with LeCroy’s primary negligence-traveling 104.2 mph.”
In a statement Thursday, the Georgia Athletic Association said: “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.”
The lawsuit accuses Carter of illegally leaving the scene without speaking to law enforcement and failing to render aid.
“Despite LeCroy’s passenger, [former Georgia offensive lineman Warren McClendon], stating to him that he could not locate Devin Willock, Defendant Carter left the scene after less than 10 minutes when another UGA football player at the scene yelled at him: ‘Yo…hey, JC…you might want to go ahead and go get the f— on yo….'” the lawsuit claimed.
“As Defendant Carter was aware at the time, he was jointly responsible for the crash, and had a legal duty to remain on the scene. Instead, in part obviously fearful of bad publicity and the effect on his NFL draft status, he hoped not to be questioned or take any responsibility for his actions.”
Carter pleaded no contest on March 16 to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing. He was sentenced to 12 months of probation, a $1,000 fine and 80 hours of community service and will attend a state-approved defensive driving course.
Carter was selected with the ninth overall pick by the Eagles in this year’s NFL draft.
Bowles’ lawsuit also seeks damages from LeCroy’s estate. According to Bowles’ attorneys, she has incurred more than $170,000 in medical expenses and suffered “likely permanent disability.” Among her injuries included in the lawsuit are three lumbar fractures, five fractured vertebrae, 10 broken ribs, broken clavicle, fractured and cracked teeth, kidney and liver lacerations, punctured and collapsed lung and abdominal bleeding.
The lawsuit said Bowles also suffered a closed head injury, which caused neurological damage and severe eye pain, and according to her neurosurgeon, significant damage to the membrane that surrounds the nerves of her spinal cord, which can progress to permanent paralysis.
“We hope that everyone reviews the detailed allegations in the Complaint to accurately understand what really happened that night,” Bowles’ attorney, Rob Buck, said in a statement to ESPN. “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.”
It is the second lawsuit filed against the UGA Athletic Association related to the wreck. In May, Willock’s father sued the athletic association, Carter and other defendants. Willock’s father is seeking $40 million in damages.
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