Latest news with #RoyceWest
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Chiefs star Rashee Rice gets jail sentence for fleeing Dallas car crash that left several people injured
Kansas City Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice has been sentenced to five years' probation and 30 days of jail time over his 2024 hit-and-run crash on a Dallas highway that was captured in a viral video. Rice was estimated to be speeding at 119mph before the collision, which resulted in several injuries for other motorists and passengers. The jail term can be served at any time over the next five years, according to ESPN, which was the first outlet to report the news. In a related lawsuit, Rice has agreed to pay $1million to a plaintiff who sued him over the 2024 crash, according to court documents obtained by Daily Mail. Rice is also being forced to pay $75,000 in pre-judgement interest and $12,000 in plaintiff attorney fees. 'Last March, I was involved in a high-speed accident in Dallas,' Rice said in a statement released by his attorney, Royce West. 'There have been a lot of sleepless nights thinking about the damages that my actions caused, and I will continue working within my means to make sure that everyone impacted will be made whole. 'I urge everyone to mind the speed limit, drive safe and drive smart. Last and certainly not least, I am profoundly sorry for the physical damages to person and property. I fully apologize for the harm I caused to innocent drivers and their families.' The NFL is expected to discipline Rice, who could receive a multi-game suspension after he was seen attempting to run away from the multi-vehicle crash last year. Rice would not be paid for any games he missed during a potential ban. Dashcam footage of the accident shows when the Super Bowl winner crashed in 2024 Rice was renting the Lamborghini sport utility vehicle authorities said was one of two speeding sports cars that caused a chain-reaction crash on a Dallas highway in May of 2024. The occupants of the Lamborghini and the other speeding vehicle — a Corvette — left without checking on the drivers and passengers in the other four cars involved in the collision. A spokesman for the rental company, The Classic Lifestyle, said the Lamborghini rents for about $1,750 a day and is worth about $250,000. Police said the Corvette and Lamborghini were speeding in the far-left lane of North Central Expressway when they lost control. The Lamborghini went onto the shoulder and hit the center median wall, causing a chain-reaction collision. Four people in the other vehicles were treated for minor injuries. After his client was seen fleeing the scene of the accident, West said at the time that Rice would 'take all necessary steps to address this situation responsibly.' Rice, a member of the Super Bowl LVIII-winning Chiefs team, is from the Dallas area. He played for Southern Methodist University and grew up in the Fort Worth suburb of North Richland Hills. The 25-year-old has $3.5 million in career earnings and is slated to make $1.3 million in 2025. However, that salary will likely suffer if he misses any games due to suspension. Already thin at receiver, the Chiefs stood by Rice in 2024 in spite of the arrest. Ultimately Rice's season was ended in Week 4 when he tore his ACL by colliding with quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Rice is expected to be ready for training camp when it opens on July 21 at Missouri Western State University. He has not addressed the ruling publicly, but did post a photo of himself on Instagram with the caption: 'Gods (sic) plan.'
Fox News
5 days ago
- Sport
- Fox News
Rashee Rice sentenced to jail time, probation after 2024 car crash as possible NFL suspension looms: report
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice learned his punishment for his role in a vehicle crash in the Dallas area last year. ESPN reported Thursday that a judge in Dallas County sentenced Rice to probation and a month-long stint in jail. The probation period is expected to last five years, according to the report. Royce West, Rice's lawyer, told FOX 4 Dallas Rice entered a guilty plea for felony racing on the highway and a felony accident causing bodily injury. The accident happened in March 2024. According to multiple reports, a vehicle was traveling approximately 119 mph when it collided with another car that was also traveling over the speed limit. Rice had already paid approximately $115,000 in restitution to cover the victims' medical expenses, FOX 4 Dallas reported. The league has waited for the legal process to reach its conclusion before taking disciplinary action against Rice. The judge's ruling could move the NFL's disciplinary process forward. If Rice is suspended, he would likely miss games during the 2025 season, ESPN reported. Rice was also granted a deferred adjudication, paving the way for a case dismissal upon the successful completion of his probation. Rice released a statement shortly after the accident saying he was cooperating with authorities. "Today, I met with Dallas PD investigators regarding Saturday's accident," Rice said in a statement in April 2024. "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." Dashcam footage obtained by FOX 4 Dallas showed a Corvette and Lamborghini speeding down the left lane before barreling into a gray car and other vehicles in front of them. KDFW later reported that an attorney representing The Classic Lifestyle confirmed Rice rented the Lamborghini SUV from the company. According to The Classic Lifestyle policy, Rice was the vehicle's only authorized driver for the duration of the rental. Dallas Police also told Fox News Digital occupants in both the Corvette and Lamborghini fled and failed to exchange information. They also did not check to see if anyone was injured or needed assistance. Rice missed the final 13 games of the 2024 season due to a knee injury. The receiver underwent posterolateral corner surgery in October. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas THC ban, school funding bills have legislators split
The Brief The 89th Texas Legislative session is in the books. A bill banning THC and another funding schools in the state were among the biggest bills to pass. Gov. Abbott has until June 22 to sign, veto or allow bills to become law. The Texas legislative session is in the books, and it was full of action. As Gov. Greg Abbott signs bills passed by the Texas legislature, members from both parties talked about the big wins and losses. One of the most heated topics of this session was Senate Bill 3. The bill currently sits on Gov. Abbott's desk awaiting his approval. Abbott has said it is one of several bills on his desk and that he will give the legislation the "consideration and time" that it deserves. State Senator Royce West (D-Dallas) and Rep. Brian Harrison (R-Waxahachie) were on different sides of the vote, but both say they are confident in how they voted. What they're saying "I think the evidence is kind of overwhelming in terms of we're seeing THC stores pop up on every corner with THC as one of the main products of those stores. We're seeing kids utilizing THC products. The fact is do we want them to pop up on every corner like liquor stores? I don't want that," said West. "I agree with the goal of protecting children from potentially dangerous products. Everybody agrees with that, but that's not what this bill did. This bill bans all these hemp products that stop what Texas adults, many either want or rely on these products, and what it's going to do, it's going to have a devastating impact on our economy. It's going to shut eight, nine, 10,000 small businesses are going to have to close their doors. 40 to 50,000 jobs are going to get laid off and millions of Texans are going to be faced with a choice and basically pushed into either a completely unregulated, dangerous black market or to much more fatal and addictive pharmaceuticals. Why would we do such a thing?" Harrison argued. The session did not feature many wins for Texas Democrats. Sen. West believes one of those wins was a bill providing $8.5 billion for public school funding. Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill on Wednesday. READ MORE: Gov. Abbott signs bill to provide $8.5B for Texas public schools What they're saying "You can always argue about the basic allotment, but the Senate's approach was restructuring the way that we finance public schools. We added additional allotments. One of the biggest issues we heard about, aside from making certain that teachers were able to get a adequate raise, was making certain that schools were able to take care of some of their fixed costs, their operational costs. And so we put an additional allotment in to make certain that every legislative session, we've got to look at the operational costs of districts and make certain that we put money into that allotment. And when I say allotments, into that bucket and that money then is spread throughout the entire state of Texas," he said. Rep. Harrison was concerned about the amount of money that will be spent due to the actions in this session. "Texas legislature this session basically said they are happy to continue taxing Texans out of their homes to fund a continuation of the Biden agenda to to burn the $24 billion surplus instead of giving it back to taxpayers in the form of property tax relief or to start eliminating property taxes to fund every left-wing progressive ideology under the sun," Harrison said. "On school choice, what they're not telling you, the people that are bragging about this so-called universal school choice program, they're telling you that it only applies to 1% of Texas students. They're also not telling that they had to give the teacher unions a $9 billion bribe just to get this little $1 billion small school choice program off the ground," he continued. You can watch Texas: The Issue Is on Sunday nights on FOX or anytime on FOX LOCAL and the Texas: The Issue Is Podcast. The Source Information in this article comes from FOX interviews with State Senator Royce West and State Rep. Brian Harrison.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas GOP Urges Veto Of Counselor Loan Program
(Texas Scorecard) – A coalition of 34 Republican lawmakers is urging Gov. Greg Abbott to veto a Democrat-authored bill that would expand state-funded student loan repayment programs—this time, specifically for school counselors and mental health professionals. Senate Bill 646, authored by Democrat State Sen. Royce West, would broaden eligibility for Texas' loan repayment assistance program to include school counselors, marriage and family therapists, and other behavioral health professionals. The bill drew fierce opposition from conservatives when it reached the House floor, especially in light of social transitioning in public schools—a practice whereby school counselors and staff assist children in adopting a new gender identity without parental knowledge or consent. 'This expands a Biden-style student loan repayment program,' reads a letter sent to Abbott signed by 34 Republican House members. 'There are many laudable things that the legislature funds and expands during the session, but few that receive such significant opposition as SB 646.' The effort is being led by State Rep. Brent Money (R–Greenville), who criticized the growing reliance on taxpayer-funded programs to forgive personal debt—especially for public sector jobs. Supporters argue the bill is meant to address Texas' ongoing shortage of school-based mental health professionals, but opponents say it sets a dangerous precedent. 'Loan repayment programs' should not be a routine feature of state policy, the letter states. 'We humbly ask that you veto this legislation and in so doing encourage the legislature to make 'loan repayment programs' and their expansion something we avoid in future sessions,' the letter concludes. 58 Republicans voted against the bill in the House. Unless Gov. Abbott issues a veto, the legislation is set to take effect September 1, 2025. The deadline for gubernatorial action is June 22.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Texas lawmaker plans to re-file hospital bollard bill despite ‘very aggressive' lobbying
This story is part of KXAN's 'Preventing Disaster' investigation, which initially published on May 15, 2024. The project follows a fatal car crash into an Austin hospital's emergency room earlier that year. Our team took a broader look at safety concerns with that crash and hundreds of others across the nation – including whether medical sites had security barriers – known as bollards – at their entrances. Experts say those could stop crashes from happening. AUSTIN (KXAN) — Despite a 'VERY aggressive lobbying effort' by the Texas Hospital Association to kill a bill aimed at preventing vehicle crashes at emergency entrances — following last year's deadly crash at St. David's North Austin Medical Center — a state senator is pledging to refile the same safety measure next session, according to a senior staffer. Senate Bill 660, sparked by a KXAN investigation, sought to require crash-rated vertical barriers, called bollards, at Texas hospital entrances. The proposal was supported by the Texas Nurses Association, which said 'all protections should be considered' to ensure healthcare workers are safe and protected. It passed the Senate but stalled in a House committee despite a last-minute amendment to only require bollards at new hospitals in cities with a population of 1.2 million or greater. 'I am disappointed that Senate Bill 660 died in the House Public Health Committee, especially after we took so many suggestions from stakeholders on modifying the legislation,' said the bill's author, Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, who called the bollard requirement 'common-sense public safety legislation.' On Feb. 13, 2024, a drunk driver drove into the lobby of St. David's North, running over all four members of the Bernard family, including their two toddlers. The driver, Michelle Holloway, 57, was killed. After the crash, the Bernards — who were seriously injured — spoke exclusively to KXAN about their ordeal and their goal moving forward. 'That no one will have to suffer like we do,' said Nadia Bernard, who was still in a wheelchair recovering at the time. That plea led to a more than year-long KXAN investigation looking into crashes and finding solutions to prevent them. After surveying dozens of hospitals, watching bollard crash-tests at Texas A&M's Transportation Institute and learning about the strength of the security barriers, we were asked to share our findings with lawmakers as they considered SB 660, which would have required bollards at hospitals statewide. 'Without a uniform statewide approach, we found a patchwork system where some hospitals are protected while others remain vulnerable,' KXAN investigative reporter Matt Grant told a Senate panel. EXPLORE: KXAN's 'Preventing Disaster' investigation into medical center crashes Using data from the non-profit Storefront Safety council, TxDOT, police and media reports, we built our own nationwide database of crashes over the past decade. We looked at places patients receive care, according to the state's definition of 'health care provider' that includes doctors, nurses, dentists and pharmacists, among others. The result: By the start of the legislative session, we had identified more than 400 crashes since 2014 including more than 100 in Texas. Months later, as we continued to track and collect data, the list of crashes into, or at, medical-related sites had expanded to more than 580. The majority were caused by drivers who were either hurt, intoxicated — like at St. David's — or had pressed the wrong foot pedal. Nearly 160 of the crashes were at hospitals and almost half of those impacted the ER entrance area. In all, we identified at least two dozen deaths and hundreds of injuries. 'I think you've built the best dataset in the country right now,' said Ware Wendell, a consumer and patient advocate with Texas Watch. 'So, it definitely informed the debate here in Texas,' Wendell added. 'And, I wouldn't be surprised if it informs the debate all around the country as hospitals evaluate how they are protecting folks inside of their emergency rooms.' 'I have to credit you, Matt, and your team at KXAN, for doing the deep dive, for digging into the data. Ware Wendell, Texas Watch Map of crashes that have occurred at or into Texas hospitals since 2014. Source: Texas Department of Transportation, media reports, Storefront Safety Council. (KXAN Interactive/Dalton Huey) The Texas Hospital Association, which represents 85% of the state's acute-care hospitals and health care systems, testified against SB 660. 'Singling out hospital emergency rooms to install bollards would not prevent, based on the statistics we're aware of, the overwhelming majority of these types of accidents because they simply don't occur in hospitals,' THA General Counsel Steve Wohleb told lawmakers in March, referring to a majority of crashes occurring at business storefronts. Behind the scenes, sources tell KXAN the industry group lobbied heavily against the proposal. In a memo sent to hospitals around the state that we obtained, the THA criticized KXAN for including other medical centers in our data, not just hospitals, and, citing autonomy and cost as a factor, called the bill an 'unfunded mandate, without evidence-based support.' 'I would question that,' said Thomas Ustach with the McCue Corporation. 'What is the cost of life safety?' McCue is the same bollard-making company that allowed KXAN to watch its crash tests in Texas last year. The company has installed security barriers at dozens of hospitals across the country. The cost to secure an ER entrance, typically, is between $10,000 and $30,000, depending on how many bollards are needed, Ustach said. A single crash-rated bollard, on average, costs around $1,500-$2,000 to purchase and install, he pointed out. 'It's really not a difficult or costly fix to the problem,' Ustach said. 'So, I'm surprised that there's so much pushback against the bill.' Ustach said he's proud the crash-testing we witnessed last year could 'shine some light' — to the public and policymakers — on why, when it comes to bollards, testing and strict performance requirements are necessary. 'You can't leave it up to chance when you're talking life safety,' he added. Today, the Bernard family is in the middle of a $1 million lawsuit against St. David's for not having bollards at the time. St. David's previously said it does not comment on litigation. This isn't the first time a hospital's lack of protective barriers has been the focus of a lawsuit. In 2020, a driver lost control and drove into the patient entrance of Atlanta-based Piedmont Hospital. Several people were hit and a 55-year-old woman was killed. The lawsuit blamed the hospital for its 'failure to provide bollards or other barriers' outside of its ER. Piedmont settled for an undisclosed amount and previously did not respond to KXAN's request for comment. St. David's previously told us it installed $500,000 worth of bollards at its Austin-area hospitals after last year's deadly ER crash. However, it has repeatedly refused to say if any of those bollards are crash-rated. When asked about the bollard bill not advancing, St. David's said it 'does not have anything to add to your story.' This month, the hospital system admitted for the first time that it opposed Austin's ordinance, which passed nearly six months ago, requiring crash-rated bollards at new city hospitals. 'If these hospitals won't do it voluntarily, there must be laws to protect all families from this predictable and preventable destruction.' The Bernard Family in a statement to KXAN A spokesperson for St. David's said the opposition was due, in part, to a belief the measure 'selectively targeted healthcare facilities' based on an incident at one of its hospitals. 'Our family is very disappointed that this common sense, statewide public safety bollard bill was killed by hospital special interests,' the Bernard family told KXAN. 'We are so grateful that Austin bravely acted to pass protective bollard legislation and know this proactive law will eventually pass at the statewide level,' the family added. Former Austin City Council Member Mackenzie Kelly said she is 'incredibly proud' of the local bollard ordinance she initiated. She hopes it serves as a model for other communities. 'While I'm disappointed that SB 660 did not make it out of the House Public Health Committee this session, I remain hopeful and encouraged,' Kelly said. 'Austin led the way by acting before tragedy struck again, and I firmly believe this idea's time will come at the statewide level.' 'Protecting patients, emergency personnel, and hospital visitors should never be a partisan issue — it's a matter of life safety,' she added, saying she looks forward to supporting the measure again next session. The chair of the House Public Health Committee, Rep. Gary VanDeaver, R-New Boston, gave the bill a hearing but did not bring it back up again for a vote, allowing it to die. His office, and the Texas Hospital Association, did not respond to a request for comment. Graphic Artist Wendy Gonzalez, Director of Investigations and Innovation Josh Hinkle, Investigative Producer Dalton Huey, Investigative Photojournalist Chris Nelson and Digital Director Kate Winkle contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
