Kansas City Chiefs star Rashee Rice insists he’s ‘completely changed’ since his hit-and-run crash on a Dallas highway that was captured in a viral video last year.
Rice was estimated to be speeding at 119mph before the collision, which resulted in several injuries for other motorists and passengers back in 2024.
The wide receiver has since been sentenced to five years’ probation and 30 days of jail time – which can be served at any time over the next five years.
As he awaits a verdict from the league on his punishment, Rice has been at the Chiefs training camp and, on Saturday, took time to speak to reporters about the 2024 crash.
He explained: ‘I´ve completely changed. You have to learn from things like that. I’ve learned and taken advantage of being able to learn from something like that.’
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.
Chiefs star Rashee Rice claims he’s ‘completely changed’ since his hit-and-run crash last year
Dashcam footage of the accident showed when the Super Bowl winner crashed in 2024
Rice is also being forced to pay $75,000 in pre-judgement interest and $12,000 in plaintiff attorney fees.
The Chiefs are bracing for Rice to serve an NFL suspension. League spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement recently that the case ‘remains under review.’
‘My legal team is handling all that,’ Rice said. ‘All I can focus on is what I can control right now and that’s me doing what I do.’
Despite his looming punishment, Rice is looking to make a comeback following a ligament injury suffered in Week 4 – after colliding with Patrick Mahomes – which ended his entire 2024 season.
The wide receiver underwent surgery to resolve the issue and has since been back in action during summer workouts.
He continued: ‘I feel 100%. I’m excited to be back out here with the guys. Just kind of basically where I left off at.
‘The only thing is get back on the field and continue to have fun doing what I do.’
Depending on the severity of his punishment from the NFL, Rice could be waiting a while longer to return to the field with his teammates.
Rice is expected to receive a stiff penalty from the NFL over his 2024 arrest
In a statement released by his attorney, Royce West, Rice said: ‘Last March, I was involved in a high-speed accident in Dallas.
‘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.’
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.
The wide receiver was spotted at Chiefs training camp this week alongside Travis Kelce
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.
The Chiefs had been thin at receiver and thus stood by Rice in 2024, after an injury to Marquise Brown during the first game of pre-season.
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.’
