UGA's Josh Brooks & Jere Morehead on school review of crash that killed 2 from football

Josh Brooks spoke in hushed tones at the start of his AD's report at the Georgia athletic board’s winter meeting Tuesday afternoon.

He was talking about the death of football player Devin Willock and recruiting staffer Chandlery LeCroy in a single-vehicle crash last month that injured two others from football program last month.

“We are in the middle of an unspeakably sad time, but our commitment to each other is not wavering,” he said at the meeting in a conference room at the Georgia Center.

He reiterated the university is conducting an ongoing internal review, in coordination with legal counsel, to look into the circumstances surrounding the crash and is cooperating with law enforcement.

Brooks and UGA president Jere Morehead made their first public comments about the crash outside of statements released by Georgia athletics.

The 2021 Ford Expedition rented by UGA was traveling on Barnett Shoals Road from downtown Athens at about 2:45 a.m. Jan. 15 headed to a Waffle House close to the Gaines School Road intersection, according to police audio communication obtained by the Athens Banner-Herald in an open records request.

Police said the vehicle failed to negotiate a left curve, struck a curb and then a Georgia Power pole, another utility pole before hitting two trees and coming up against an apartment unit.

LeCroy, 24, was driving the vehicle. She was rushed to an area hospital where she died. Excessive speed was a contributing factor, according to the crash report. Willock, 20 was ejected from the SUV and died on the scene.

Toxicology and alcohol tests are still not back and the results may not be known until into March, according to Athens-Clarke County coroner Sonny Wilson on Tuesday.

Offensive lineman Warren McClendon, 21, sustained minor injuries in the crash while recruiting staffer Tori Bowles, 26, received more serious injuries.

“I want to say the entire university community continues to grieve the loss of Devin Willock and Chandler LeCroy,” Morehead said during his AD’s report during the meeting. He said they “hope and pray for the full recovery of those injured in this tragic accident.”