Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish has been charged with driving without due care and attention, and failing to stop at or report a collision.

Grealish is set to appear in court on August 25 following an alleged incident when he breached lockdown regulations on March 29.

The midfielder was pictured on social media on a Birmingham street next to a Range Rover, which had apparently collided with two parked cars.

Editors’ Picks

Grealish apologised and said he was “deeply embarrassed” after it emerged he had visited a friend’s house, breaching government rules that were imposed to try to limit the spread of coronavirus.

West Midlands Police launched an investigation and on Thursday revealed the playmaker, linked with Manchester United, has been charged.

“A Premier League footballer has been charged with driving without due care and attention, and failing to stop at or report a collision,” a police statement said. “Jack Grealish is accused of the offences in Waterside, Dickens Heath, Solihull, on Sunday March 29.

“An investigation was launched after we responded to reports of a car hitting parked vehicles and the driver fleeing on foot. The 24-year-old from Barnt Green, Worcestershire, has been postal charged to appear before Birmingham Magistrates Court on August 25.”

Grealish donated £150,000 to Birmingham Children’s Hospital and raised £55,000 for the NHS by raffling off one of his shirts after breaching lockdown regulations soon after they were imposed.

He has said he regrets breaking coronavirus lockdown protocols, but also stresses that he is “still human and we all make mistakes”.

“I knew straight away that I had to come out and apologise myself, which I wanted to do; I didn’t want to hide behind a club statement,” Grealish told The Guardian earlier this month. “I am old enough now and mature enough to know that I’d done wrong.

Article continues below

“I know I am a footballer but I’m still human and we all make mistakes and straight away I knew I’d made a mistake. I’m also a role model as well to a lot of people out there, especially young children who might look up to me.

“So I try to act in a respectable manner but since then I have tried to keep my head down, work hard and do as much charitable work as possible.”

He played in Villa’s goalless draw with Sheffield United behind closed doors at Villa Park on Wednesday, the first game of the Premier League season since it was suspended in March.

Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish has been charged with driving without due care and attention, and failing to stop at or report a collision.

Grealish is set to appear in court on August 25 following an alleged incident when he breached lockdown regulations on March 29.

The midfielder was pictured on social media on a Birmingham street next to a Range Rover, which had apparently collided with two parked cars.

Article continues below

Editors’ Picks

Grealish apologised and said he was “deeply embarrassed” after it emerged he had visited a friend’s house, breaching government rules that were imposed to try to limit the spread of coronavirus.

West Midlands Police launched an investigation and on Thursday revealed the playmaker, linked with Manchester United, has been charged.

“A Premier League footballer has been charged with driving without due care and attention, and failing to stop at or report a collision,” a police statement said. “Jack Grealish is accused of the offences in Waterside, Dickens Heath, Solihull, on Sunday March 29.

“An investigation was launched after we responded to reports of a car hitting parked vehicles and the driver fleeing on foot. The 24-year-old from Barnt Green, Worcestershire, has been postal charged to appear before Birmingham Magistrates Court on August 25.”

Grealish donated £150,000 to Birmingham Children’s Hospital and raised £55,000 for the NHS by raffling off one of his shirts after breaching lockdown regulations soon after they were imposed.

He has said he regrets breaking coronavirus lockdown protocols, but also stresses that he is “still human and we all make mistakes”.

“I knew straight away that I had to come out and apologise myself, which I wanted to do; I didn’t want to hide behind a club statement,” Grealish told The Guardian earlier this month. “I am old enough now and mature enough to know that I’d done wrong.

“I know I am a footballer but I’m still human and we all make mistakes and straight away I knew I’d made a mistake. I’m also a role model as well to a lot of people out there, especially young children who might look up to me.

“So I try to act in a respectable manner but since then I have tried to keep my head down, work hard and do as much charitable work as possible.”

He played in Villa’s goalless draw with Sheffield United behind closed doors at Villa Park on Wednesday, the first game of the Premier League season since it was suspended in March.

Aston Villa footballer Jack Grealish has been charged with two driving offences over a car crash during the coronavirus lockdown.

The 24-year-old is due to appear in court accused of driving without due care and attention and failing to stop at or report a collision, West Midlands Police said.

An investigation was launched after reports of a car hitting parked vehicles and the driver fleeing on foot in Solihull on 29 March, according to the force.

Grealish issued a public apology following the incident, which happened a day after he had posted a video urging people to stay at home during the coronavirus lockdown.

The Villa captain said he had “stupidly agreed” to go to a friend’s house and was “deeply embarrassed” by his actions.

He will appear before Birmingham Magistrates Court on 25 August.

At the time of the incident, West Midlands Police said two parked cars had been left with minor damage.

Aston Villa later released a statement confirming Grealish – their star player – would be disciplined and fined, with the money going to a local charity.

“Aston Villa is deeply disappointed that one of our players ignored the government’s guidance on staying at home during the coronavirus crisis,” a club statement read.

“Club captain Jack Grealish has accepted that his decision to leave his house was wrong and entirely unnecessary. It breached the government guidelines which are clear and should be adhered to by everybody.”

Grealish played for Villa in the first Premier League match since before the lockdown on Wednesday evening – a 0-0 draw against Sheffield United.

Before the match, both sets of players and the referee “took a knee” in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Rutgers basketball player Jacob Young reached a plea deal Monday in his driving while intoxicated case, according to his attorney.

Young was arrested in the early-morning hours Feb. 2 in New Brunswick by Rutgers University police and charged with DWI, reckless driving, failing to signal, disregarding a stop sign and careless driving, according to a RUPD incident report.

Appearing in New Brunswick Municipal Court via a video-conference call Monday, Young’s DWI charge was dropped and he agreed to plead guilty to reckless driving. Young had his New Jersey license privileges suspended for 60 days and agreed to pay a fine of $240.

“Jacob’s accepting his responsibility,’’ James Curran, Young’s Milltown-based attorney, said. “He’s remorseful. He’s a really nice kid and he made a mistake.’’

Introducing Rutgers Sports Insider: Sign up for exclusive news, behind-the-scenes observations and the ability to text message directly with beat writers

A rising senior guard from Houston who was 22-years old at the time of his arrest, Young was suspended for one game for a violation of team rules by Scarlet Knights coach Steve Pikiell after the incident.

Both Young and Pikiell on Monday declined to comment through a Rutgers spokesperson, who said, “The team considers the matter resolved.’’

In February, Pikiell said he was “disappointed’’ upon hearing the news of Young’s arrest.

“When you deal with young adults, they’re capable of making bad decisions. He obviously did,” Pikiell said. “I’m disappointed. I love him. But you’ve got to make great decisions, and young adults sometimes don’t. We’ll move forward, it will be a good learning experience for us and then we’ll move on.”

A key bench player for a Rutgers team that went 20-11 before its season was cut short prior to the Big Ten Tournament because of the coronavirus shutdown, Young averaged 8.5 points per game while 41.3 percent from the field in 30 games as a junior.

Young, who has one season of eligibility remaining after transferring in from the University of Texas two years ago, earned a spot on the Dean’s List after posting a 3.73 grade-point-average this spring, according to a Rutgers spokesperson.

Get Rutgers Sports Insider text messages from reporters: Cut through the clutter of social media and communicate directly with the Rutgers beat writers. Plus, exclusive news and analysis every day. Sign up now.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.

Keith Sargeant may be reached at ksargeant@njadvancemedia.com.

Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.

A multi-vehicle crash in Jozini left several dead, and many injured.

• KZN Transport MEC Bheki Ntuli is appalled to hear that alcohol was allegedly involved in a horror crash in Jozini in which eight died.
• A 48-year-old truck driver will face charges of drunk driving and culpable homicide.
• Ntuli was alarmed by the increase of car crashes on the road in the province since 1 June.

---

KwaZulu-Natal Transport MEC Bheki Ntuli says he is appalled after hearing that the driver of a truck involved in a horror crash in Jozini, in which eight people died and 32 were injured, was allegedly intoxicated.

The driver is to be charged with drunk driving and culpable homicide. 

Paramedic reports on Wednesday indicated the truck driver had apparently lost control of the truck, crashing into pedestrians and at least nine vehicles.

Police have now confirmed that the 48-year-old man had traces of alcohol in his blood. 

“A 48-year-old suspect is due to appear tomorrow (Friday) in the Ubombo Magistrate’s Court on charges of drunken driving and culpable homicide”, police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala said. 

On Wednesday, Ntuli visited the accident scene where police briefed him and he examined the crash wreckage as part of a fact-finding mission into what transpired. 

READ | 8 dead, 32 injured, after truck crashes into pedestrians, 9 vehicles in KZN

“I was appalled when I learnt that the truck driver is suspected to have been driving under the influence of alcohol, which could be the cause of this ghastly accident that resulted in eight fatalities,” said Ntuli. 

“Alcohol has contributed immensely to bad driver behaviour which leads to traffic violations, road crashes and the increasing road death toll”.

“The blatant disregard for the rules of the road is to blame for the deaths of many breadwinners on our roads, which is a huge cost to the economy”, added Ntuli.

He was also alarmed by the increase of car crashes and fatalities on the road in the province since the country moved to Alert Level 3 of the national lockdown, aimed at containing the spread of Covid-19.

Ntuli expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased and wished those in hospital a speedy recovery.

Phakaaathi Reporter

De Goey’s contract with Collingwood is up at the end of the 2020 season, which is due to resume after its coronavirus-enforced break next month.

The Magpies will play the Tigers in the season re-opener on June 11.

It’s not the forward’s first time in trouble with the law.

In February 2018, he was caught drink driving, returning a blood alcohol reading of 0.095 when the P-plater should have been at zero.

The club told him to find employment elsewhere for at least four weeks after that incident and he was fined $10,000. He also had to make a $10,000 donation to charity.

A year earlier, he copped a three-match club ban after lying to the Magpies about a broken hand, injured in a St Kilda bar fight.

He claimed he was injured while playing with his dog and had already missed three weeks while recovering.

Last year he told AAP he’d given another club youngster, Jaidyn Stephenson, advice on how to handle scrutiny around AFL bans.

‘‘Everyone’s young once and everyone [stuffs] up sometimes,’’ he said.

Collingwood last night declined to comment on the matter.

Gauteng traffic police arrested a “prominent soccer player” on Sunday for allegedly driving at 213km/h in a 120km/h zone on the N1 in Johannesburg.

Traffic police spokesperson Obed Sibasa said the 32-year-old man was caught on the highway in the Sandton area. He was a driving an Audi A6 Tdi.

“He was charged with reckless and negligent driving. The alternative charge is driving at excessive speed for the prescribed legal speed limit. He was detained at the Sandton police station,” Sibasa said.

He will appear at the Randburg magistrate’s court on Monday.

Sibasa said the soccer player had explained that he was rushing home to fetch a friend.

“What a lousy excuse,” said Sibasa.

“We have since Friday, arrested more than 11 speedsters. Driver attitude and behaviour remains a challenge. Motorists take advantage of Covid-19 lockdown or restrictions on movement of people.” 

He said traffic officers were all over monitoring motorists.