Rashee Rice, Theodore Knox being sued for over $1M in Texas crash
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) — Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice and Southern Methodist University wide receiver Theodore Knox are being sued for over $1 million in damages and $10 million in punitive damages by two victims in the March 30 crash in Dallas, Texas, according to a lawsuit filed in Dallas County.
The court document says the plaintiffs, Irina Gromova and Edvard Petrovskiy of Dallas County, are seeking monetary relief for over $1 million for severe injuries, including "trauma to the brain, lacerations to the face requiring stitches, multiple contusions about the body, disfigurement, internal bleeding, and other internal and external injuries that may only be fully revealed over the course of medical treatment."
Gromova and Petrovskiy were both driving in their respective cars and had their seatbelts on at the time of the crash.
They are suing for negligence and punitive damages, which include physical and mental harm, property damages, costs of medical prevention and care in the future, loss of earnings, and potential harm to their safety and welfare, along with several other claims, according to court documents.
The lawsuit says both are seeking punitive damages "in the amount not less than ten million dollars.”
Rice, 23, was allegedly driving a Lamborghini SUV at 119 miles per hour seconds before causing the six-vehicle crash last month. Knox, 21, who was driving a Chevrolet Corvette leased under Rice's name, is also accused of causing the crash, which injured four people. Knox was traveling at a speed of 91 miles per hour 1.5 seconds before the crash, according to authorities.
Rice and Knox turned themselves in to police in Glenn Heights, Texas, two days after arrest warrants were issued. They each face one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury and six counts of collision causing injury.
"Despite his physical abilities and responsibilities as a public figure, Rice raced a high-powered vehicle through the public roads of Dallas County, Texas, lost control, and injured several innocent people including the Plaintiffs in this cause," the document said.
After the crash, Rice and Knox left the scene on an exit ramp with the other passengers that were in the cars, despite seeing the damages they caused.
"The victims and bystanders of the carnage tried to engage the Defendants, but they were ignored in the Defendants' attempt to flee without responsibility," the lawsuit alleges.
Both Gromova and Petrovskiy demand a trial by jury, according to the document. As for the other victims in the crash, no statement or lawsuit has been released.
Earlier this month, Rice issued a statement taking "full responsibility" for his involvement in the crash, adding that he would "continue to cooperate with the necessary authorities." It's unclear what consequences the second-year Chiefs player will face with the team, though head coach Andy Reid said Monday that they will wait "for the law enforcement part of it to take place and then we’ll go from there with that.”
Knox was suspended from SMU's football team after an arrest warrant was issued for him. His attorney, Deandra Grant, said last week that her client was cooperating with law enforcement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.