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Former Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas had been arrested for vehicular assault in late February when he crashed his vehicle while going 70 miles per hour in a 35 zone. The crash resulted in all three occupants being injured, one seriously.
Thomas, 31, faced up to three years in prison and a $100,000 fine if he were to be convicted of vehicular assault. Instead, Thomas avoided a more serious charge by pleading guilty to a lesser charge of careless driving. He’ll need to complete 50 hours of community service and pay a $300 fine.
“It was important for me to accept responsibility for my careless driving,” Thomas said in a statement. “I personally promise I will never put anyone at risk with that type of driving going forward.”
Thomas tore his Achilles last season and is currently a free agent. The nine-year veteran is at the top or near the top in most of the Broncos all-time records. This incident could put a dampening on his free agent prospects, but he’ll still likely find a home once fully recovered from his season-ending injury.