CANTON, Ohio — The father of a University of Georgia football player who died in a tragic crash after the Bulldogs won their second consecutive championship is suing several people tied to the incident and is seeking $40 million in damages.
One of the defendants named in the lawsuit filed by Dave Willcock, Sr., the father of the late Devin Willcock, is a car dealership company from Stark County, Sarchione Auto Gallery, LLC.
The lawsuit, filed in Gwinnett County, Georgia on Tuesday, also names Chandler LeCroy -- the UGA staffer who was driving the vehicle that crashed -- and then-UGA defensive lineman Jalen Carter, who was in a separate car.
The crash happened around 2:45 a.m. in Athens, Georgia on Jan. 15 -- the day after UGA celebrated its championship win with a parade. According to the police report, the crash happened when the vehicle, a 2021 Ford Expedition, failed to navigate a left curve, "resulting in the vehicle striking a curb with its front passenger tire and leaving the roadway on the west shoulder" and then hitting a power pole. It adds that a contributing factor was "exceeding speed limit."
Surveillance video released after the crash appeared to show LeCroy and Carter speeding down Athens roads at rates reaching 100 mph.
Carter was accused of racing in connection with the crash and pleaded no contest to traffic violations. His sentence included 12 months of probation, a $1,000 fine, community service, and he has to take a defensive driving course.
According to the lawsuit, Carter had a Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) Agreement or arrangement with the Sarchione Auto Gallery since 2022. The NIL provided Carter with a Jeep Trackhawk as a spokesperson of the company, the lawsuit outlines and claims. The deal was approved by UGA's Athletic Association and its NCAA compliance department, the lawsuit reads.
The lawsuit outlines the specs of the TrackHawk, which include a 6.2 Liter, SRT, Supercharged "Hellcat" V-8 engine, adding that SRT is an acronym for "street racing technology" and these types of engines are "a favorite among illegal street racers." The suit also notes that the vehicle "is capable of easily reaching speeds of 180 mph," and says the Sarchione Auto Gallery "negligently entrusted" the vehicle to Carter, "due to his age and immaturity."
One of the exhibits in the lawsuits is a photo of a vehicle that has a Sarchione Auto Gallery tag on it. (3News has blurred out the license plate number)
The lawsuit adds that the "Sarchione defendants knew or should have known that Carter received at least four tickets in vehicles that they provided him for his use from July of 2022 through the date of this crash, including running red lights, a super speeder ticket, window and windshield tint violations, and a ticket in Lake County, Florida for speeding in another Sarchione provided vehicle."
Sarchione Auto Gallery has partnerships with several NFL and college football players, including former Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud, and Browns players Cade York, Jacob Phillips, Anthony Walker, and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.
"The Sarchione defendants are vicariously liable for the use of their vehicle by Carter as a Sarchione athlete representing the Sarchione defendants’ Brand at the time of the crash in a vehicle," the suit adds.
3News has contacted Sarchione Auto Gallery management for reaction to the lawsuit and will post any updates here.
Read the full reporting on the lawsuit from 11Alive's Gabriella Nunez here.