There have been a whole lot of stories involving college athletes and motorized scooters over the years, from several Georgia players’ crashes in 2009 and 2010 (including one that left baseball player Chance Veazey paralyzed) to Illinois football coach Lovie Smith banning scooters in 2016 to Missouri football’s “Scooter Gang.” But the latest one involving star UConn junior basketball guard Jalen Adams, the Huskies’ leading scorer last season, stands out for some of the details involved.
Adams was reportedly in a crash while racing scooters, left the scene, was charged with “evading responsibility,” and has now been suspended indefinitely:
Adams was charged with “evading responsibility” after leaving the scene of a motorized scooter accident on campus Wednesday night. According to the New Haven Register, Adams was involved in the accident while racing a motorized scooter on campus Wednesday night, then left the scene to prompt the charge. He has since been released on a $500 bond and is set to appear in court Nov. 21.
Adams was subsequently suspended from practice Thursday for conduct detrimental to the team. His status, according to the school, will be evaluated on a day-to-day basis.
Police say Adams was one of four men who were racing their scooters Wednesday night when Adams hit the back of another. He left the broken scooter at the scene and hopped on the back of another, and police found them shortly after at a local business where he was issued a misdemeanor summons.
At least this didn’t end with any injuries for Adams or others, and that alone makes it much better than many of the scooter stories we’ve seen over the years. But still, this isn’t great, and it certainly isn’t how Adams wanted to start his season. He was a key piece for the Huskies last year, averaging 14.4 points, 6.1 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game. It will be interesting to see how long he’s out for and who gets more playing time while he’s suspended. This isn’t the most severe charge in the world, but it’s not something you particularly want to see for your star player.
