Who is Rashee Rice? What to know about dangerous racing accident linked to NFL player

Rashee Rice has been in the news a lot in 2024.

In his rookie season with the Kansas City Chiefs, he helped the NFL franchise capture the Super Bowl in Las Vegas in February. Afterward, he proclaimed he couldn’t wait to get back to “Funkytown” in North Texas.

Recently, he’s been in the news for his activities off the field for his role in a serious car accident in Dallas on March 30 and allegations that he may have fled the accident scene afterward.

Who is Rashee Rice?

Rice, who turns 24 on April 22, was born in Philadelphia. He moved to Texas with his family as a young boy, attending Richland High School, where he emerged as one of the top high school football players in the nation. He received a scholarship to play at SMU, where he played in 44 games over four seasons, catching 233 passes for 3,111 yards and 25 touchdowns. The Kansas City Chiefs selected him in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft with the 55th overall pick.

How did his first NFL season go?

Rice emerged as one of the top offensive players for the Chiefs, setting franchise rookie marks in receptions (79), receiving yards (938) and touchdowns (seven). He won a Super Bowl ring when the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers, 25-22, in overtime. He had six catches for 39 yards in the game.

What happened on Saturday?

Rice has been implicated in a high-speed accident on the North Central Expressway near University Boulevard on Saturday at approximately 6:25 p.m.

Dallas police reported that a Lamborghini and a Corvette were racing when the Lamborghini lost control, went into the left shoulder, hit the median wall and rebounded into the highway, causing a chain-reaction crash.

The occupants of both sports cars got out of their vehicles in the middle of the highway and fled the scene, according to police. They did not exchange information with other drivers, stop to see if anybody was injured or call for police or paramedics. Two people in other vehicles were taken to a hospital with minor injuries; another two injured people were treated at the scene.

A dashcam video, released this week, shows the accident and the riders fleeing afterward.

On Wednesday, Rice met with police. He issued a statement on Instagram, stating he was cooperating with authorities. He apologized for his role in the crash but has not said whether he was driving or was a passenger in one of the vehicles.

The Lamborghini was leased to Rice by a luxury car rental company, and he was listed as the registered owner of the Corvette in a police record.

Dallas police, who interviewed Rice on Wednesday, have said that they are still speaking with witnesses and other people possibly involved in the crash as their investigation continues to determine who was driving and what led to the collision.

Will Rice go to jail?

Racing on a Texas highway is considered a third-degree felony if the accident results in bodily injuries. If the people who were driving are found guilty, prison time could be up to 10 years.

There are also fines and possible jail time for leaving the scene of a highway accident, although those legal responsibilities likely apply only to the drivers and not to passengers in the cars.

How will this impact his NFL career?

The Chiefs and the NFL are aware of the incident. They will watch the legal process before NFL commissioner Roger Goodell making any determination on whether Rice should be suspended for any amount of games during the 2024 season. Rice could face a variety of penalties, including a suspension.

The Chiefs open the season on Sept. 5.

This story was originally published April 4, 2024 at 10:56 AM.