Jalen Carter returns to combine following arrest

Jalen Carter returned to the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis on Thursday, a day after the former Georgia star was arrested on charges of reckless driving and racing in connection with a crash that killed a Bulldogs teammate and a recruiting staff member.

Carter, one of the top prospects in next month’s NFL draft, returned to the combine to finish interviews with teams and measurements, among other activities, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. He had not been expected to participate in workouts at the combine even before his arrest Wednesday.

He was booked on the pair of misdemeanors at 11:33 p.m. ET on Wednesday and released at 11:49 p.m. after posting a $4,000 bond, according to online records. An arraignment hearing in the case was set for April 18.

Lt. Shaun Barnett, a public information officer with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, told ESPN’s Mark Schlabach on Thursday that police, based on the evidence that they had, consulted with the county’s district attorney and other government agencies before charging Carter with misdemeanor counts of reckless driving and racing. Those charges carry maximum sentences of 12 months in jail and a $1,000 fine in Georgia.

The county’s solicitor general’s office is handling the case, and barring new evidence, it is unlikely Carter will face any additional criminal charges.

“I do not anticipate those charges being anything else,” Barnett told Schlabach.

According to the arrest warrant, obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, Carter is accused of racing his 2021 Jeep Trackhawk against the 2021 Ford Expedition driven by recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy, leading to the Jan. 15 crash that killed LeCroy and offensive lineman Devin Willock.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Wednesday that Carter was present at the scene of the crash and later provided shifting accounts of the incident to police.

Carter released a statement on social media Wednesday afternoon saying that he expected to be “fully exonerated of any criminal wrongdoing.”

Speaking at the combine Thursday, former Georgia cornerback Kelee Ringo said incidents such as January’s fatal crash have “nothing to do with the program.”

“Different people have different reasons for what they do,” Ringo said. “To be a grown man, you have to be responsible for what you do. Character-wise, I don’t have anything to say on any of my teammates. But of course, to whom much is given, much is expected.”

ESPN’s Turron Davenport contributed to this report.

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