A woman who survived a car crash that killed a Georgia football player and recruiting staffer filed a lawsuit accusing numerous parties of negligence.
In court records obtained by USA TODAY Sports, Victoria Bowles, who is a former recruiting analyst for the school, filed the lawsuit in Gwinnett County, Georgia on Tuesday.
Among the defendants in the case are the UGA Athletic Association, Philadelphia Eagles rookie defensive lineman Jalen Carter, the estate of Chandler LeCroy, who was killed in the accident along with offensive lineman Devin Willock, and five unidentified individuals labeled as John Doe.
Police have said on the evening of Jan. 15, after a parade celebrating Georgia’s football team winning back-to-back national championships, a Ford Expedition driven by LeCroy was traveling about 104 miles just four seconds before the crash, which was a result of street racing with Carter. Bowles was a passenger in the backseat of the SUV.
SPORTS NEWSLETTER:Sign up to get the latest news and features sent to your inbox
Authorities also said that LeCroy’s blood alcohol concentration was .197, more than twice the legal limit for the state of Georgia.
“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.”
Georgia coach Kirby Smart also said in March: “It’s understood that you cannot take a vehicle when you’re not doing your duties. They were not participating in their duties that night.”
The lawsuit said that among the injuries suffered by Bowles were three lumbar “burst fractures,” a broken collarbone, kidney and liver lacerations, and a “closed head injury, and neurological damage, causing severe eye pain.” Bowles is seeking general damages “for lost income and diminution in earnings capacity and for medical expense not less than $171,595.08.”
“Tory is deeply saddened by the loss of Devin and Chandler,” Robert Buck, her attorney, said in an email to the Athens Banner-Herald on Thursday. “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 (UGA sports medicine director) 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.”
For his role in the crash, Carter plead no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing, receiving a year of probation, a $1,000 fine, and 80 hours of community service. He was also mandated to attend a defensive driving course.
The UGA Athletic Association is also the defendant in another case related to the crash, after Willock’s father filed a suit in May, seeking more than $40 million in damages.
The negligent claims stem from LeCroy using the SUV despite having four previous speeding tickets, including “two super speeder” tickets under Georgia law and that her direct supervisors were aware of her speeding tendencies.
“Were it not for the UGA Athletic Association’s negligent entrustment of the SUV to LeCroy on January 15, 2023, the crash would have been avoided,” the lawsuit said.
“Based on our preliminary review, we dispute its claims and will vigorously defend the Athletic Association’s interests in court,” Georgia athletics said in a statement. “ 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.”
Contributing: Marc Weiszer, Athens Banner-Herald
