UGA football staffer files lawsuit against Athletic Association, NFL rookie over crash

Athens Banner-Herald The former Georgia football recruiting staffer who sustained serious injuries in a crash that killed a player and a co-worker is suing the University of Georgia Athletic Association and NFL rookie Jalen Carter and others in a civil lawsuit filed Wednesday in Gwinnett County state court. Victoria “Tory” Bowles was a backseat passenger in the early morning of Jan. 15 in the UGA-rented Ford Expedition that another recruiting analyst, Chandler LeCroy, was driving when it crashed after racing with Carter after leaving downtown Athens. Police said LeCroy was driving up to 104 miles per hour. LeCroy and offensive lineman Devin Willock were killed in the crash on Barnett Shoals Road. LeCroy was found to be driving with a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit hours after the team celebrated its second straight national title. The lawsuit contends that if not for the UGA Athletic Association’s negligent entrustment of the SUV to LeCroy, the crash would have been avoided. It said they were aware she had at least four speeding tickets including two “super speeder” violations on her record and that recruiting supervisor Logen Reed was in the vehicle with LeCroy on Oct. 30, 2022 in Morgan County when she went 77 MPH in a 55 zone as they returned from Georgia’s game in Jacksonville against Florida. The UGA Athletic Association and others were also named in a lawsuit by the father of Devin Willock in May, seeking $40 million in damages. Willock was also a backseat passenger. Another passenger, offensive lineman Warren McClendon, sustained minor injuries in the crash. The latest lawsuit states that LeCroy told Bowles she had “permission” to keep the SUV until Jan. 15 and that “numerous text messages from recruiting staff supervisors to LeCroy, Bowles and other staff members show the Athletic Association’s public stance that the rental vehicle was supposed to be turned in after recruiting duties ended is false.” 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.” Bowles sustained three lumbar burst fractures of the spinal cord causing leaking of fluid, five fractured vertebrae, a fractured clavicle and fractured sacrum, kidney and liver lacerations and a punctured and collapsed lung as well intra-abdominal hemorrhaging and facial lacerations, according to the lawsuit. She sustained a closed head injury and neurological damage that caused severe eye pain. “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.” Bowles was unaware entering the rented SUV that LeCroy may be legally intoxicated, the lawsuit said, or that she would race. The lawsuit said that Bowles verbally protested how fast LeCroy was driving but was ignored. The lawsuit says that recruiting staff were informed regularly they could leave personal cars overnight at the football offices and use rental vehicles through a return date unrelated to assigned recruiting activities. The lawsuit says Georgia assistant coach Chidera Uzo-Diribe authorized use of the rental vehicle for presumed personal use by asking her to take his personal ATM card and obtain $1,000 cash from a nearby ATM during an unofficial recruiting dinner at a Japanese steakhouse. LeCroy was assigned to a recruit from Texas and his family and Bowles was assigned to a recruit on an unofficial visit, the lawsuit said. Bowles was paid less than $12,000 a year and has lost income totaling at least $3,434 to date and is unable to work. Bowles was placed on unpaid leave by UGA, her attorney said. The lawsuit said she has sustained “physical and emotional pain and suffering,” that likely will remain for the rest of her life. The lawsuit says that Carter, a former Georgia defensive tackle who was a first-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in April, also liable for “engaging in a grossly negligent joint enterprise-tandem driving/street racing,” with LeCroy. LeCroy’s estate is also listed as a defendant. Carter’s agent did not respond to a message seeking comment. Carter was racing LeCroy in a Jeep Cherokee Trackhawk. The lawsuit said he left the crash scene after less than 10 minutes and did not return for more than an hour and a half after police requested his return. Carter pleaded no contest to reckless driving and racing, both misdemeanors. He received 12 months probation, a 1,000 fine and 50 hours of community service. The lawsuit is seeking $171,595 each from the UGA Athletic Association, Carter, Carter’s Breadman LLC, the estate of LeCroy as well as attorney fees and additional unspecified damages at trail for pain and suffering. “Based on our preliminary review, we dispute its claims and will vigorously defend the Athletic Association’s interests in court,” UGA 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.” It continued: “Recruiting vehicles were to be used during recruiting activities only, personal use of the vehicles was prohibited, and recruiting staff therefore were not authorized to use the rental vehicle for their purely personal activities on the night of the accident or any other time. Under no circumstances were recruiting staff authorized to use rental cars to drive at excessive speeds while intoxicated. While we have patiently supported Ms. Bowles during her long and difficult recovery, we will strongly defend our position in this lawsuit.”