Excessive speed contributed to crash that killed Devin Willock, Georgia football staffer: police

Excessive speed was a contributing factor in a fatal car crash that killed Georgia football player Devin Willock and a member of the team’s recruiting staff early Sunday morning, just hours after the Bulldogs celebrated winning back-to-back national championships, investigators in Georgia said.

According to a crash report released by the Athens-Clarke Police Department on Tuesday, 24-year-old recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy was driving a 2021 Ford Expedition SUV when she “failed to negotiate a left curve, resulting in the vehicle striking the curb with its front passenger tire and leaving the roadway on the west shoulder.”

The report, obtained by the Associated Press, listed excessive speed on a road as one of the primary causes of the crash. The speed limit was listed at 40 mph, but investigators did not specify an estimated speed for the SUV.

GEORGIA’S DEVIN WILLOCK MADE YOUNG BULLDOGS FAN’S DAY BEFORE FATAL CAR CRASH

The crash happened at around 2:45 a.m. in Athens, just miles from Georgia’s campus. According to the report, the SUV struck a power pole and a second utility pole, cutting it in half.

The SUV spun out, striking several trees and another parked car before finally coming to rest.

“This caused the vehicle to rotate counter-clockwise prior to achieving final rest against an apartment building,” the report read.

According to the Athens Banner-Herald, Willock was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene after police arrived at around 2:55 a.m.

LeCroy was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. Two other members of the Georgia football team – offensive lineman Warren McClendon, who just recently declared for the NFL Draft, and Victoria Bowles – were injured as a result of the crash.

McClendon was wearing a seat belt and sustained minor injuries, which the report described as a laceration in the middle of his head. Bowles was hospitalized with multiple, serious injuries. She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the report. 

The investigation remains ongoing, but the report said no alcohol or drug test was conducted on LeCroy.

The fatal crash followed a parade and ceremony honoring the Georgia football team that won its second consecutive national championship after defeating TCU in the title game on Jan. 9.

“The entire Georgia family is devastated by the tragic loss of football student-athlete Devin Willock and football staff member Chandler LeCroy,” the UGA Athletic Association said in a statement.

“Devin and Chandler were two special people who meant so much to the University of Georgia, our football program and our athletic department. We ask that everyone keep their families in your prayers during this very difficult time.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.