The exotic nature of the revolutionary eighth-generation Corvette has attracted more than the marque’s typical jorts and New Balance demographic, with the C8 bringing in the younger crowd as well. But this dynamic has also yielded a number of professional athletes who feel the C8’s image is on par with their paychecks.
We typically don’t cover Corvette crashes, but we wanted to raise a question after this most recent viral crash: Are these crashes just an anomaly, or will we begin to see more of them as the Corvette continues to evolve into a true exotic? Today, we highlight just a few notable crashes involving the eighth-generation Corvette and professional athletes, ranked from oldest to newest. If you want to keep up to date with all the fresh Corvette news and maintain a pulse on the lifestyle and culture of this exciting, iconic brand, CorvSport has the fastest-growing Corvette community on our Facebook page, with over 173,000 followers (54,000 since January 2023!). Come join other hardcore enthusiasts and say hello, Douglas B.
#3
Despite this being the oldest crash in our trio, it is by far the worst. On November 2, 2021, Raiders player Henry Ruggs was driving his C8 Corvette through Las Vegas at what was reported to be speeds up to 156 mph. The video below shows the moments before Rugg’s Corvette crashed into a Toyota RAV4, which burst into flames after the crash. The speed at impact was said to be nearly 130 mph, indicating the intoxicated Ruggs may have seen the SUV and attempted to slow down.
The result was horrific, killing both the driver and her dog in the SUV while also injuring Ruggs’ fiancee and the mother of his child (seen together below just moments after the crash). In August 2023, the now-former Raiders player was sentenced to at least three years in a Nevada prison for the fiery crash. “I sincerely apologize,” the former first-round NFL draft pick said as he stood for sentencing in Las Vegas after pleading guilty in May 2023 to felony DUI causing death and misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter, a charge carrying a six-month jail sentence that will be folded in with his three-to-10-year prison term.
#2
Just as Christmas 2022 approached, Dallas Cowboys defensive end Sam Williams was involved in a vehicle crash in Plano, Texas, where Police said Williams was driving a black Corvette southbound when he collided with a black Infiniti that was going northbound and attempting to turn onto an adjoining road. Police said both Williams and the other driver, who was reportedly 71 years old, were taken to a hospital as a precaution and didn’t appear to have serious injuries.
At the time, Police said they were investigating whether speed was a factor in the incident, but no charges had been filed.
#1
On March 30, 2024, a dash cam video caught the end of an apparent street race between a C8 Corvette and a Lamborghini SUV. The video from the busy Dallas highway, posted below, has since gone viral, with nearly 500,000 views. At the beginning of the video, you’ll see the bizarre series of moves that led to the multi-car crash. At one point, it almost looked like the speeding Corvette made contact with the Lamborghini first before they both collided with the innocent travelers. Multiple witnesses saw two men from each vehicle leave the scene of the accident, walking together. Thankfully, no major injuries have yet to be reported.
In the days after the multi-car crash that involved six vehicles, Dallas police were searching for Kansas City Chiefs player Rashee Rice. An attorney for the Super Bowl Champion says the wide receiver is now cooperating with authorities after the Corvette registered to Rice appeared to initiate the chain-reaction crash.
This is a developing story; check our weekly News Recap for any pertinent updates.
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