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Two former SMU Mustangs were involved in a high-speed, hit-and-run automobile accident in the evening hours on March 30 in Dallas. In the wake of the event, developments have unfolded rapidly.
The former Mustangs involved in the incident are Rashee Rice and Teddy Knox. Rice is now a member of the Kansas City Chiefs and played a pivotal role in their most recent Super Bowl victory. Knox played 2 seasons for the Mustangs. The team suspended him after the hit-and-run accident, and he recently entered the transfer portal. Although neither the Chiefs nor the NFL have suspended Rice, a significant suspension is anticipated.
The Accident
The accident occurred on U.S. Route 75 in Dallas, near the SMU campus. Rice was allegedly driving a leased Lamborghini Urus, while Knox was allegedly driving a Corvette registered to Rice. According to a report released by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Rice and Knox drove at excessive speeds—up to 119 miles per hour. Dashcam footage of the accident has been made public.
The Corvette, driven by Knox, allegedly crashed into the Lamborghini driven by Rice. According to the Dallas Police Department, the force of that collision caused the Lamborghini to impact the center median and then spin out counter-clockwise. The spin-out reportedly triggered a chain-reaction accident involving six vehicles.
After the accident, Rice, Knox and the occupants of the vehicles were videotaped leaving the scene on foot.
At least four individuals were injured as a result of the accident, according to a Dallas police crash report.
Criminal Charges
Rice and Knox have both been charged with 8 felony counts—6 counts of collision involving bodily injury, 1 count of collision involving serious bodily injury and 1 count of aggravated assault. The aggravated assault charge is particularly serious. It is a second-degree felony, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison.
Additional criminal charges against Rice and Knox could be forthcoming. They could face hit-and-run charges under Texas Transportation Code section 550.021. That statute makes it a felony for a driver to fail to stay at the scene of an injury accident in which he/she is involved.
Rice and Knox are represented by lawyers who have publicly stated that the two are now cooperating with authorities.
On April 3, Rice released the following statement on social media:
"Today I met with Dallas PD investigators regarding Saturday's (April 13) accident. I take full responsibility for my part in this matter and will continue to cooperate with the necessary authorities. I sincerely apologize to everyone impacted in Saturday's accident."
Additionally, NFL.com recently reported that Rice vowed to learn and mature from this incident.
Although Rice and Knox surrendered themselves to be booked into jail on the criminal charges, they were both released on $40,000 bonds pending trial.
Civil Lawsuits
Multiple civil lawsuits have been filed against Rice and Knox. The company that leased the Lamborghini to Rice has also been sued as a result of the accident.
Individuals who were injured in the accident allege in their lawsuits that they suffered brain trauma, disfiguring facial lacerations, internal bleeding and other serious injuries.
The plaintiffs in these civil lawsuits seek damage awards of up to $10 million. The plaintiffs stress that Rice and Knox walked away from the scene without rendering aid, despite the circumstance that the plaintiffs were in evident distress.
SMU Mustangs Suspend Knox
SMU promptly announced its suspension of Knox from the football team once criminal charges were filed. However, due to federal student privacy laws, the university declined to comment further on the matter. As noted above, after his suspension, Knox entered the transfer portal.
NFL Expected to Suspend Rice
Rice is widely expected to be suspended from play by the NFL at the beginning of the upcoming season, possibly for the entire first half. Noting that Rice's reckless conduct "endangered lives," The Sporting News forecasted a significant suspension from the league.
The seemingly inevitable suspension of Rice will be imposed by Commissioner Roger Goodell pursuant to the NFL's personal conduct policy.
The high-speed accident and its fallout have received extensive media attention. NFL Insider Adam Schefter has joined the chorus of those forecasting a significant suspension.
Reverberations of the Dallas street-racing accident continue to be felt in numerous contexts and settings.
Chiefs Select WR Worthy
Perhaps in anticipation of a coming severe suspension of Rice, the Chiefs used their first-round draft pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to select speedy wide receiver Xavier Worthy of Texas.
Rice was a leading receiver for the Chiefs last year. He broke the NFL record for most postseason receptions by a rookie. Thus, a lengthy suspension of Rice would be a major blow to the Chiefs. Were it not for the likely unavailability of Rice for much of the 2024 season, the Chiefs may have gone a different direction with their first-round selection in the Draft.
Rice Vetted by Secret Service
On May 31, the Chiefs were welcomed to the White House to celebrate their Super Bowl LVIII victory. Rice was among the Chiefs players who attended. Before the event, the White House was aware of and concerned about the pending felony charges against him. Hence, the Secret Service conducted an investigation prior to granting Rice clearance to visit.
In terms of far-reaching consequences, it does not get much farther than the halls of power in Washington, D.C.
Dallas Nightclub Incident Under Investigation
According to KSHB News in Kansas City, a police report filed in May contains allegations that Rice punched a photographer at a nightclub in Dallas. However, on May 21, KERA News for North Texas reported that the photographer declined to pursue charges and signed an affidavit of non-prosecution. Despite the photographer's decision, Dallas police are still investigating the incident according to Fox4 News in Dallas.
Additional SMU Incident Unearthed
As Rice is coming under increased scrutiny, information has come out concerning another troubling incident in which he was allegedly involved. According to Mike Florio of NBC Sports, while Rice was at SMU, he and/or friends of his reportedly fired several gunshots into an empty automobile owned by former SMU basketball player Kendric Davis. Per Florio, Rice came to believe Davis "was seeing Rice's girlfriend." According to Florio's sources, Rice and friends of his then went to an SMU basketball game and fired shots at Davis' empty vehicle.
The following assessment typifies media characterizations of this alleged SMU incident:
"There is no way to spin that story in a positive light. Rice has a concerning collection of incidents on his record that paint a problematic picture. Recklessness on his part looks like a trend rather than a rarity."
Alicia de Artola, FanSided, May 10
As noted by the Dallas Observer, this SMU incident could factor into the suspension the NFL eventually imposes on Rice, because the NFL considers "behavioral issues" when it metes out suspensions.
Social Media Fallout, Caitlin Clark
Women's basketball sensation Caitlin Clark recently made a nostalgic Instagram post, featuring a current photo in her Indiana Fever uniform alongside a photo of her as a child, with the comment, "Time flies." The post received well over a half-million likes.
Rice is a verified follower of Clark on Instagram. He commented on her post with two emojis—the fire emoji and the fingers crossed emoji. Despite the supportive nature of Rice's comment, he received online backlash, with commenters replying by sarcastically asking if he was in jail and suggesting that he focus on his legal issues rather than commenting on social media.
Rice and Clark have previously crossed paths. She is a fan of the Chiefs and, on Christmas Day in 2023, she and Rice swapped jerseys.
Slow Pace of Judicial Process
On July 11, Sports Illustrated reported that the court cases involving Rice and Knox are moving slowly and suggested this plodding pace could result in any NFL action taking a back seat to the judicial system and the possibility of Rice not receiving a suspension until 2025. Nevertheless, the Chiefs are closely monitoring the situation and considering precautionary roster moves. The league's recent 8-game suspension of Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Cameron Sutton for a domestic violence incident that resulted in a pretrial diversionary disposition makes clear that it is prudent of the Chiefs to anticipate eventual League action.
Stay tuned to College Football Dawgs for continued reporting on this developing story and other college football news.
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