The University of Georgia Athletic Association has denied it had any involvement in a January car crash that killed an athletics staffer and football player after it was named in a lawsuit filed by one of the crash’s survivors, according to court documents.
As reported by Atlanta News First, the lawsuit was filed in Gwinnett County by Victoria Bowles, a former UGA recruiting analyst who survived the crash. The lawsuit partially blamed the athletics association for the crash. Jalen Carter, a former UGA football player, and fellow recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy’s estate were also named in the lawsuit. LeCroy was driving the university-leased SUV at a high rate of speed at the time of the crash.
Related: Georgia Crash Survivor Sues Athletic Department, Jalen Carter
In its response, UGA denied all the allegations against its athletics association.
The response, filed in Gwinnett County on Sept. 29, states Bowles “knew she was no longer within the scope of her job duties when she entered the backseat, when she failed to exit it at the earlier opportunity, and when it horrifically crashed minutes later, killing two people and wounding herself,” Atlanta First News reported.
LeCroy and UGA football player Devin Willock were killed in the crash. UGA offensive tackle Warren Mclendon was injured in the crash.
The crash happened after the Bulldogs celebrated their second consecutive national championship title in a downtown Athens parade on Jan. 15. Warrants state LeCroy was racing Carter before the crash. Athens-Clarke County police said in March LeCroy had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.197 percent at the time of the crash. The legal limit is 0.08 percent.
In March, Carter pleaded no contest to the two charges — racing and reckless driving — he was facing in connection to the deadly crash.
Willock’s family also filed a lawsuit following the deadly crash.
