Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Lachie Rice was driving the Lamborghini that was involved in a multi-vehicle crash over the weekend, his attorney said Thursday.
Mr. Rice's attorney, Lois West, said at an afternoon news conference that Mr. Rice had answered all questions from Dallas police, including whether he was directly involved.
“Mr. Rice admitted that he was driving the Lamborghini, and that's what he was questioned about,” West said. “To which he replied that he was driving a Lamborghini.”
Rice apologized Wednesday to those affected by the weekend's high-speed crash in Dallas, saying he “takes full responsibility for my role in this matter.”
Rice posted an apology on Instagram, commenting publicly about the incident for the first time.
“Today I met with Dallas Police Department investigators regarding Saturday's accident,” the post reads. “I take full responsibility for my role in this matter and will continue to cooperate with the necessary authorities. I offer my deepest apologies to everyone affected by Saturday's accident.”
West, who is also a Democratic state senator whose district includes parts of the Dallas area, stressed at a news conference Thursday that his client is 23 years old and should not be judged based on one incident.
He added that Rice intends to compensate the victims for their injuries and any property damage he may have caused.
“But by the grace of God, someone could have been injured, seriously injured. He understands that and he's grateful,” West said of Rice.
West continued, “That's why he wanted to come forward and say he has a responsibility to help the victims recover as fully as possible.”
West said he has not spoken to the Chiefs about the incident.
Chiefs officials could not immediately be reached for comment by NBC News on Thursday.
But Chiefs President Mark Donovan told Kansas City, Missouri radio station KCMO on Monday that the Chiefs are closely monitoring the incident as it unfolds.
“In all these situations, you have to wait until you know all the facts, and frankly, we don't know all the facts right now,” Donovan said. Car accident in Dallas, Texas. And fortunately, no one seems to have been hurt, and we should be thankful for that. Let's get to the bottom of it. Gather the facts and respond accordingly. ”
The NFL told NBC News on Thursday that the league is monitoring the incident.
Dallas police spokeswoman Christine Lowman confirmed to NBC News Wednesday that investigators have spoken with Rice and his attorney. Lowman said the investigation is ongoing and witnesses and victims are still being interviewed.
Investigators are working to determine exactly what happened, who was involved and how, Lowman said.
Authorities said two luxury sports cars were involved in the accident, and the occupants of the vehicle left the scene.
At 6:25 p.m. Saturday, police officers responded to the North Central Expressway in Dallas after two speeding drivers lost control and collided, “causing a chain reaction involving four other vehicles.” I was dispatched.
Police told The Dallas Morning News on Sunday that the drivers were in a Corvette and a Lamborghini, and the Lamborghini veered off the road and crashed into a highway median.
The newspaper reported that one of the cars was leased or registered to Mr. Rice. “All occupants of the Lamborghini and Corvette fled the scene without stopping or providing any information to determine if anyone required medical assistance,” police told the news outlet. .
Two people were treated at the scene and two others were taken to a local hospital, police said.
An attorney for luxury car rental company Classic Lifestyle told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth that the Lamborghini SUV involved in the accident belonged to a local company based in Dallas.
“Classic Lifestyle was leasing the vehicle involved in the accident, a 2021 Lamborghini Urus,” attorney Kyle Coker said. “And we have an agreement with Mr. Rice to provide a lease.
A video posted on social media by Kayla Quinn, who was a passenger in one of the cars that was hit, appears to show damage to the driver's side of her car. Quinn's 4-year-old son was in the car, according to a Facebook post by a person who identified herself as Quinn's mother.
Attorney Mark C. Lenahan told NBC News earlier this week that he is representing one of the crash victims and is helping another.
“From their perspective, they were just driving around,” Lenahan said. “One of them was heading out to dinner with friends and family at 6:30, just like most of us were with people in town on the Saturday night before Easter.”
That's when they saw a “flash” behind them.
“Then all of a sudden they rotate and become a T-bone,” Lenahan said.
Rice was selected by the Chiefs in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft and helped the team win the Super Bowl in February. He grew up in the Dallas area.
