From wire and staff reports
Three North Carolina football players and a fourth who had transferred were involved in a campus wreck in May but not cited for speeding by an officer who had worked on-field game security.
Herman Davidson was cited for driving without a license after swerving to miss an oncoming car and flipping a vehicle owned by senior linebacker Ebele Okakpu's father.
The initial report said the car was traveling 25 mph at the time of the crash, but the report was later updated to state the car was going 20 mph faster.
Sgt. S.R. Smith wrote in the report: "I changed the travel and impact speed of the collision from 25 to 45 based on the severity of the collision and other factors combined. To have an incident of this magnitude, the vehicle had to have been traveling higher than the posted speed of 25 mph.”
The report also indicated that Smith detected alcohol but that Davidson, 21, did not seem impaired. Davidson had announced he was transferring before the accident.
UNC police spokesman Randy Young said Smith – who was assigned to protect former head coach Butch Davis during some games last season -- resigned in July but wouldn't discuss details. Smith, who acknowledged on his Twitter page that he is a Tar Heels fan, couldn't be reached for comment by either The News & Observer or The Associated Press.
Junior linebacker Dion Guy suffered minor scrapes. Okakpu and senior offensive lineman Carl Gaskins were also in the vehicle.
Guy, Okakpu and Gaskins were all disciplined internally by Davis before he was fired last month, team spokesman Kevin Best said, because they did not immediately inform the coaching staff of the accident.
The Associated Press and Robbi Pickeral contributed to this report.
Robbi Pickeral has covered ACC sports for The News & Observer since 2003. She can be reached at
Comments
Hey, it's Max
Thu, 08/18/2011 - 23:02 — Heels20Poor officiating must be involved. Conspiracy! #PackPride
I guess this means you've
Thu, 08/18/2011 - 23:07 — mad_maxI guess this means you've given up. It's about time.
You caught me!
Thu, 08/18/2011 - 23:12 — Heels20It's a "UNC DWI," as the guy who was driving didn't play for UNC!
That was sarcasm, by the way. Maxy Max is embarrassing the university who gave him a degree.
No
Thu, 08/18/2011 - 23:19 — mad_maxUNC does hand out degrees fairly easily, but I was not interested in getting one from them. Sorry.
That's it
Thu, 08/18/2011 - 23:23 — Heels20UNC is viewed in a much more positive manner from a national perspective, but NC State is the better school. The confusion is due to a conspiracy. Great argument, Maxy Max
Again
Fri, 08/19/2011 - 00:36 — mad_maxDid you not understand the jest of my post? Or are you just arguing with yourself again, because you've got nothing better to do?
Jokes
Fri, 08/19/2011 - 00:39 — Heels20Wuffies seem to be full of jokes when they've got nothing to back up what they said.
Over your head
Fri, 08/19/2011 - 00:54 — mad_maxI was implying that UNC was the one being embarrassed. I think the last year or so has contained plenty of things to back up what I'm saying. Wow, you are dense tonight.
Your joke
Fri, 08/19/2011 - 00:59 — Heels20Your joke referenced McAdoo's case. I guess accodirng ot a Wolfpacker, that is enough to prove how an entire university should be viewed.
And the rest is a media conspiracy ;)
My joke didn't really
Fri, 08/19/2011 - 01:09 — mad_maxMy joke didn't really reference McAdoo.
Myself, and many others, have felt long before McAdoo came to UNC that it's harder to get into UNC, but it's harder to graduate from State. The severe grade inflation that was exposed several years back was evidence for this sentiment. If you are looking more at the athletic side of things, then yeah, I guess my joke could have implied something about so many bball and football players taking this questionable Swahili class. But that's not what I was getting at...I certainly didn't have an opportunity to play bball or football at UNC or State lol.
The concept...
Fri, 08/19/2011 - 01:17 — Heels20...that it's harder to graduate from State has been around for several decades. It's what State students say to feel better about themselves. Of the several people I know who transferred from State to UNC, every. single. one. of. them. said that there was no comparison. The courses at UNC were more rigorous. But I guess the Wolfpackers can go ahead and say what makes them keep going through the day...
And yeah, I was in no shape to play Carolina basketball haha
One More Page in a Long and Sad Story..........
Wed, 08/17/2011 - 22:35 — stateofmindThere must be a hundred stories in the N&O in the past few months exposing hundreds of serious problems with the UNC football team ranging from widespread academic fraud, bribery, pay for play, pro agents chasing players on campus, a player with 5 cars and 9 tags, etc. etc. etc. Now 3 UNC football players and a former player roll a car with alcohol involved.
There is a big time lack of institutional control over the football program at UNC.
But don't worry, they will have a winning season, and that is THE ONLY important thing at UNC.
Three Word Summary of the Situation
Thu, 08/18/2011 - 09:59 — bobmacTHE CAROLINA WAY!
Lackofmind
Thu, 08/18/2011 - 00:07 — Heels20A. When was pay for play an issue?
B. Do you even know what LOIC is?
don't throw stones in a glass house
Wed, 08/17/2011 - 23:58 — bryant80Do you even go to State? Or maybe your somebody that went 20 yrs ago and was sheltered.You have not 1 clue about what goes on at NC State.It's already known about the 4 guys that got busted last year (Sweeny with an assault charge and larceny already).You think Sweeny should have stayed on the team after this?lol.Maybe a little special treatment ehhh.If you don't think there are more people on the team that do the same thing your a fool.
Why don't you take your
Thu, 08/18/2011 - 08:08 — danofncWhy don't you take your concerns and share them with the judge who dismissed the charges, OK? The guy who said the search was illegal and that any evidence seized was inadmissible.
I'm quite certain that the officer involved can't be accused of taking it easy on the athletes.
Yep
Thu, 08/18/2011 - 07:37 — YAR8packYou're right. That "Sweeny" is such a bad guy. Hey, you don't have to worry about him. He's not on NCSU's team anymore.
PS: It's Sweezy, not "Sweeny."
amen
Thu, 08/18/2011 - 02:45 — jtric1963the same crap everyday from this nscu fan
Keystone Kops Kheif Pheiff WILL Find Plane Theif
Wed, 08/17/2011 - 21:37 — ViperRetThis is really amusing. The security can NOT investigate a simple traffic accident and come to realistic conclusions that any rookie SHP or PD candidate half way through his training could figure out. NOW, in a related story, the UNC-CH Krack Team of investigators is looking for a man with severe head injuries and is purported to have stolen a plane from the UNC airport (that is NOT the CH airport). According to published reports, the UNC-CH Keystone Kops are responsible for security at the UNC owned airport. No WONDER the guy could easily steal the plane and go for a 2 hour (per the owner who checked the hour meter) JOY RIDE.
I don't know whether to have pity on the poor students at UNC-CH who must depend on these fine, upstanding, thoroughly trained and professional Law Enforcement Officers OR to snicker at what seems to be total incompotence in about every level and area of UNC-CH.
Perhaps, we need Guv Dumplin' to appoint a special prosecutor and blue ribbon committee to investigate these misdeeds and the response of the UNC-CH Keystone Kops Krew.
Ya' GOTTA love it. The beat goes on and the dirty linen just keeps being brought out for all the world to see.
Alot of Innuendo
Wed, 08/17/2011 - 20:04 — askew10Seems to be alot of innuendo here. Not much else. It appears that the N&O (a California owned and operated newspaper ) has it gun sights set on the Univerity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and keeps firing.
Really??? when there's a lot
Wed, 08/17/2011 - 21:55 — viraldocReally??? when there's a lot of targets, you can keep firing. The N&O has been UNC's biggest supporter over the years. Now UNC has given them plenty of fodder and it's hard to ignore.
Another make news story for
Wed, 08/17/2011 - 19:18 — notaliberalAnother make news story for the tabloid News and Observer.
Nothing to see here. Move
Wed, 08/17/2011 - 18:40 — awdracerNothing to see here. Move along.
Oh wait. I read the article again. There were four football players in a car. The driver rolled the car over on its roof. The responding officer noted alcohol on the breath of a UNC football player that was driving and then decided it was prudent to only cite the football player for not having a license. The officer on scene (goes by tarheelsmitty on twitter) decides that the driver is "not impaired". He was impaired enough to roll a car in a 25mph zone. Wow.
Just another day in Chapel Hill!
Heh
Wed, 08/17/2011 - 18:47 — Heels20Apparently in your two attempts to read the article, you missed that the driver was not a UNC player. It's okay. I know some of you guys have trouble reading over at NC State.
Hmmm....let's go with
Wed, 08/17/2011 - 23:57 — danofncHmmm....let's go with alleged driver.
"But the police report says Davidson was driving."
OK...and Davidson is the only guy who was in the car that wasn't a current football player. How convenient.
"You're just making stuff up."
No I'm not. The cop wasn't even going to say he was traveling over the speed limit, despite the fact that the car flipped and he did $18k in damage to a 2000 Ford (which isn't possible).
The only thing in that report that can be believed is that the car was wrecked, flipped, and alcohol was involved.
Blind assumptions
Thu, 08/18/2011 - 00:05 — Heels20Assumption, assumption, assumption. When will you ever contribute anything to this site that is backed up by hard proof? You approach everything in a way in which you make blind assumptions that twist a situation into a far-fetched theory that satisfies ABCers.
The police report from the
Thu, 08/18/2011 - 07:58 — danofncThe police report from the accident says that the officer adjusted the estimated speed of the crash from 25 to 45 because of the severity. The driver wasn't charged with speeding, reckless driving, or any of the other more severe charges that were possible. The driver wasn't asked to perform a field sobriety test or take a breathalyzer despite the fact that the officer smelled alcohol and a car was upside down at 3 in the morning.
All of that is fact. There isn't one bit of speculation there.
If you think the officer performed in a normal manner, and that his actions aren't questionable, then tonight you should have a couple of beers and then run your car into a ditch. When the cops show up, see if you get the same benefit of the doubt.
swerving to miss an oncoming car
Thu, 08/18/2011 - 11:34 — gvillegatrdan,
were you ever going to bring this up in your biased posts ? No.
The bottom line is these guys were given the benefit of the doubt b/c of having to get out of the way of a friggin car coming at them in the wrong direction or a car pulling out in front of them. Many a folk have been let go with alcohol on their breath if they were deemed to be in control of their faculties and weren't the cause of the accident. Apparently this was the case.
The officer
Thu, 08/18/2011 - 11:28 — Heels20One fact that you're conveniently leaving out is that the police report said Davidson swerved to miss another car.
Also, please show me where you've read a field sobriety test was not conducted. Would like to see that.
And how is this a "UNC DWI" when the a) the guy driving wasn't a UNC player, and b) you have no idea whether or not he was drunk?
Do you really think the
Thu, 08/18/2011 - 13:08 — danofncDo you really think the officer performed a FST and left it out of the report? Really?
Is there another car pictured in the accident report? No.
Is there an ongoing investigation to find the car that led to the accident? No.
If they swerved to avoid a car, are we really supposed to believe that whoever was driving that car just kept going after a vehicle flipped? And that they weren't looked for? Charged with something?
Good grief. Open your eyes.
Haha
Thu, 08/18/2011 - 13:17 — Heels20More assumptions. Why am I not surprised?
The police report doesn't specifically say that a field sobriety test was done, but it said he was not impaired. What's the point in even mentioning alcohol on his breath if this is just a conspiracy to get him out of it?
There's not going to be another car pictured in the report if it drove off. If said other car was a drunk driver, then yes, I think they would drive off after Davidson's car flipped. Not saying that I assume they were. Just saying that it would make sense for them to do so under that scenario.
Pretty tough to get a license tag or an accurate description of the other car if you're busy flipping. How do you investigate something with no description?
My point is that you are simply picking the facts that you want to believe out of this, and then disregarding the ones that you don't want to believe. To say that this is a UNC football conspiracy is very far-fetched under the circumstances.
Here are facts: 1) 3am 2)
Thu, 08/18/2011 - 14:18 — danofncHere are facts:
1) 3am 2) Car upside down 3) Alleged driver with alcohol on his breath 4) Car full of current and former football players 5) Investigating officer with connection to the football program
OC EMS and CH FD also responded. If the alcohol was noticeable, he didn't have the option of pretending he didn't smell it unless the other responders were going to go along with his story.
To most reasonable people, the upside down car would be a sign of impairment. To most reasonable people, going at least 45 mph in a 25 mph zone and flipping a car in the process would warrant a FST (by the way..the police report does actually state that there was no test performed) if the driver smelled like alcohol.
I'm believing all the facts. There are parts of this that aren't necessarily facts. The officer resigned and isn't talking, despite being given ample opportunity.
Uh...
Thu, 08/18/2011 - 14:46 — Heels20I would think that if this were a conspiracy, then Davidson would be jumping at the opportunity to go with the cops story that no alcohol was smelled on his breath.
Also, according to ABC, the officer denies a cover-up. ONCE AGAIN, you show your bias by choosing to believe that the officer smelled alcohol on Davidson's breath, but not believing that this was not a cover up.
Davidson wasn't the only
Thu, 08/18/2011 - 15:18 — danofncDavidson wasn't the only person there who would have to go along with the story. Two other emergency response vehicles showed up. The occupants of those vehicles would also have to go along with the story.
How could the officer not deny a cover up? If he ever wants to work in LE again, he has no choice.
Find a police officer who agrees with you that these three circumstances: a) alcohol b) 3am c) upside down car don't SCREAM for an FST. You won't.
Tar Heel Smitty failed at his job, unless his job was to protect athletes.
Once again
Thu, 08/18/2011 - 16:47 — gvillegatrAll this happened bc of an oncoming car. It negates all you say when you continue to ignore why there was an accident to begin with.
Jalen Rose had an accident
Thu, 08/18/2011 - 17:45 — danofncJalen Rose had an accident because of icy roads. He didn't seem impaired, he didn't feel impaired. The officers smelled alcohol, they tested him, and he just got out of jail.
Did you ever think that the speed he was traveling and the need to avoid an oncoming car may have been the direct result of his impairment?
Ok
Thu, 08/18/2011 - 21:39 — gvillegatrDid Jalen have his faculties or not ? An officer will only make one take a sobriety test if he/she thinks the person is drunk. Obviously Harley Davidson was not.
Haha
Thu, 08/18/2011 - 15:28 — Heels20What UNC athlete was he protecting?
Reading is not MY problem
Wed, 08/17/2011 - 20:09 — OlBlueHe had announced he was transfering, before the accident. That does not mean that he had already transferred, now does it? Why drag NC State into it? Truth is, they all, once again players received special treatment.
Well...
Wed, 08/17/2011 - 20:13 — Heels20Whether he had named his destination or not, Herman Davidson was not a UNC player at the time of this accident. That would make the post of awdracer, an NC State fan, false.
yeah.....
Wed, 08/17/2011 - 18:25 — PowderedToastManso what?