A Texas college football player who was involved in a high-speed crash involving Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Laci Rice has been suspended from the team, the school announced.
Southern Methodist University, a private research school located in University Park, Texas, announced the suspension of athlete Theodore “Teddy” Knox on Thursday after Dallas police issued an arrest warrant for the SMU athlete.
Police say Knox, 21, was driving a Corvette and Rice, 23, was driving a Lamborghini in a multi-vehicle crash in Dallas last month.
“SMU takes these allegations seriously,” the school's athletic department said in a statement, noting that “federal student privacy laws prevent the university from discussing the details of student disciplinary procedures.”
Knox is a junior cornerback on the Mustang football team. He just completed his second season after transferring from Mississippi State University.
Police said investigators determined that Knox and Rice were speeding in the far left lane of the North Central Expressway on March 30, causing a “cascading collision involving four other vehicles.” .
According to police, both suspects are suspected of fleeing the scene without checking on the safety of the occupants of the other vehicle. No major injuries were reported, but two people were taken to a local hospital and two others were treated at the scene, police said.
Arrest warrants were issued Wednesday for Rice and Knox on charges of aggravated assault, collision with serious bodily injury, and six counts of collision with bodily injury.
Rice turned himself in at the Glen Heights Police Department on Thursday and was taken to DeSoto Regional Jail. His lawyer, Texas Sen. Royce West, said the NFL player was released on bail and is cooperating with the investigation.
“Mr. Rice acknowledges his actions and has deep sympathy for those injured in this accident,” West's office said in a statement Thursday. “Our legal team is currently tasked with reviewing all legal documents.”
Dallas police said Friday that they had not been notified of Knox's citation. Knox's attorney could not immediately be reached.
Attorney Mark C. Lenahan previously told NBC News that one of the crash victims was heading to dinner with family and friends when he saw a “flash of light” behind him.
“Then all of a sudden, they rotated into a T-bone,” said Lenahan, who is representing one of the victims and helping another.
Rice, a receiver for the Super Bowl-winning Chiefs, said in an Instagram post last week that he takes full responsibility for his role in the accident.
“I sincerely apologize to everyone affected by Saturday’s accident,” he wrote.
