A former University of Georgia recruiting analyst has settled her lawsuit with the school’s athletic association more than a year and a half after she was severely injured in a crash that also killed two other members of Georgia’s football program.
Attorneys for Victoria “Tory” Bowles said in a court filing last week they were dismissing their lawsuit “as a result of a compromise and agreement entered between the parties.” The terms of the settlement are unclear.
Bowles’ attorneys — Rob Buck and Phil Boston — declined to comment. A UGA spokesman issued a statement Tuesday explaining the decision to settle the case.
“The parties agreed to resolve Ms. Bowles’ claim to avoid further litigation, without either party admitting fault or assigning fault,” UGA spokesman Steven Drummond said.
Bowles was severely injured in a January 2023 crash that followed the university’s celebration of the Georgia football program’s back-to-back national championships. Georgia recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy and offensive lineman Devin Willock died in the accident.
Athens-Clarke County police investigators said speeding and alcohol contributed to the crash that occurred during the early morning hours of Jan. 15, 2023. The group involved in the crash had been celebrating at a downtown Athens strip club with other UGA team members and left just minutes before the incident.
LeCroy, who was driving a Ford Expedition rented by the athletic association for the weekend’s celebration, had a blood-alcohol level of .197 — more than twice the legal limit.
Bowles filed her lawsuit in July 2023, accusing the athletic association of negligently entrusting the rental vehicle to LeCroy, who had a history of speeding. Her lawyers sought to undercut UGA’s claim that LeCroy was unauthorized to drive the vehicle by submitting into the court filings text messages between Bowles and other recruiting staff that revealed recruiters were regularly allowed to take the vehicles home overnight.
Shortly after she filed suit, the university fired Bowles. In January, her attorneys said in a bombshell filing that Georgia coaches and staffers regularly drove UGA athletic association rental vehicles after drinking.
While the settlement closes the door on Bowles’ legal action against the athletic association, her lawsuit continues against LeCroy’s estate and former UGA football star Jalen Carter.
Carter was arrested in March 2023 and charged with two misdemeanors after an investigation determined he was racing LeCroy prior to the crash. He pleaded no contest and was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and complete 12 months of community service. Attorneys for both Carter and LeCroy’s estate have denied liability.
UGA also faces a lawsuit from the Willock family, who has brought claims against the athletic association and others similar to the ones brought by Bowles.
Nearly 20 months after the crash, the fatal accident continues to loom over a program that continues to face persistent speeding and traffic violations by players. UGA football players and staff have been involved in at least 24 incidents and arrests related to speeding, reckless driving and driving under the influence since the January 2023 fatal crash.
In February, an Athens police officer who pulled over Georgia football players Justyn Rhett and Joenel Aguero for speeding and weaving through Athens traffic referenced the crash in a roadside lecture to the players.
“January, last year, what happened? People died, right?” the officer said, later adding, “Let’s not be a statistic, because guess who is going to show up and work that? Me.”
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