UGA freshman wide receiver booked into jail for driving wrong way on one-way street
Sacovie White #18 of the Georgia Bulldogs prior to the University of Georgia Spring Game at Sanford Stadium on April 13, 2024 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Steve Limentani/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
ATHENS. Ga. - A freshman wide receiver for the University of Georgia was arrested and booked into jail on Saturday for driving the wrong way on a one-way road in Athens, according to jail records.
Sacovie White was booked into the Clarke County Jail at 3:04 a.m. on Saturday and released at 4:04 a.m. on bonds totaling $26.
White was charged with reckless driving and one-way roadway violations.
White is the second football player to be arrested since March for driving offenses.
Running back Trevor Etienne was arrested on March 24 for driving under the influence, failure to maintain a lane, improper driving, and affixing materials that reduce visibility through windows or the windshield.
Etienne reportedly confirmed that he had been drinking, telling the officer that he was "just trying to get home." The junior was booked into the Athens-Clarke County Jail and released an hour later after posting a bond of $1,800.
In September 2023, a former University of Georgia football star, NFL linebacker, and current UGA staff member, Jarvis Jones, was arrested for speeding and reckless driving on Sept. 1, less than 24 hours after the team's season opener.
In May 2023, wide receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint was charged with reckless driving and speeding after being stopped by an officer checking speeds on Atlanta Highway.
White signed with Georgia as a member of the 2024 recruiting class out of Cartersville, according to DawgNation.com.
White's high school coach told the Athens Banner-Herald/OnlineAthens that it was a big weekend in Athens because of Georgia's "Scavenger Hunt" and it was a traffic violation that "occurs on the regular."
Many people are commenting on White's arrest on social media with some asking why he was arrested.
It was surprising to see the Sacovie White news this AM. $26 bond?
But he’ll learn from it. He’s a great kid, but that doesn’t mean he’s not prone to silly mistakes.
Bright futures do not exempt young people from mistakes along the way. Most of us have lived through that. – Jeff Sentell
and
I’m sure it happens but in my personal experience I’ve never seen anyone get booked over driving on the wrong side of the road.
The player in question (Sacovie White) wasn’t speeding or drunk as well.
Not sure why he got taken to jail over that and needed a $26 bond. – CFB Rankings
FOX 5 Atlanta reached out the Athens-Clarke County Police Department to ask why White was arrested. They sent this reply:
Offenses like DUI, Reckless Driving, and Driving without a license require an arrest and fingerprinting/photographs. Any offense can have discretion applied, even DUI, if the circumstances dictate it. For example, a DUI driver has severe injuries from an accident, that person may be cited.
They also provided the arrest report for White.
According to the report, an officer observed an orange Dodge Charger traveling at a high rate of speed on the one-way street at a time when people were leaving bars in the area and trying to get into Ubers.
Additionally, the police officer says one of the passengers in the car was partially outside of the vehicle.
The officer believed that the driver was showing a complete disregard for the safety of his passengers, himself and innocent civilians in the area and that his actions posed a significant threat to the public.
The officers reportedly told White when he was being placed under arrest that there had been multiple accidents involving pedestrians in the area and they were trying to prevent more from happening.
The driving habits of Georgia's football players have been under heavy scrutiny since the fatal crash in January 2023 that killed offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting staff member Chandler LeCroy. The crash also injured another football player and staff member. Since then, more than a dozen arrests have been made in connection to Georgia's football program.
FOX 5 Atlanta has also reached out to UGA for a statement.