UNC football players charged after fatal crash will be part of spring practice, face discipline within program
Posted March 18, 2024 12:29 p.m. EDT
Updated March 18, 2024 5:14 p.m. EDT
Chapel Hill, N.C. — Three North Carolina football players who are facing charges after a fatal car crash in January remain part of the Tar Heels' program and will participate in spring practice, head coach Mack Brown said Monday.
Sophomore offensive lineman Zach Rice, junior defensive lineman Travis Shaw and sophomore defensive lineman Maliki Hamrick will be disciplined by the program after the legal process plays out, Brown said.
"We had three guys that got misdemeanors that are going through the legal process right now," Brown said. "We'll let the legal process take its course and then what we will do is, obviously, they'll have consequences with disciplinary action within our program."
UNC student Molly Elizabeth Rotunda, 20, died in a Jan. 21 accident at the intersection of Raleigh Road and East Barbee Chapel Road. Documents allege Rotunda was a passenger in a 2014 Mercedes Benz E350 driven by UNC student Flemeeja Brewer, who faces multiple felony charges after the deadly accident.
The car was "traveling 124 mph in a 45 mph zone," according to police documents, which claim it went off the road and struck a concrete culvert before overturning in the intersection.
Brewer and another passenger in the car suffered injuries. None of the football players were in the car.
WRAL News was told street racing may have been a factor in the crash.
Rice, 20, of Virginia, was charged with driving after consuming while younger than 21, consuming/possession of alcohol younger than 21 and exceeding a posted speed limit. A warrant claims that Rice was closely following the car that crashed.
Shaw, 19, was charged with underage possession/consumption of alcohol, five counts of aid/abet underage possession/consumption of alcohol, and an outstanding order for arrest for failing to appear in Durham County for possession of marijuana, underage possession of alcoholic beverages and unauthorized possession. Warrants show Shaw allegedly bought three bottles of tequila at Still Life, a Chapel Hill bar.
Hamrick, 19, was charged with underage possession/consumption of alcohol.
"We're disappointed anytime any of our guys get mentioned in something that's against the law," Brown said.
At least 10 people have been charged in relation to the incident, including employees at Still Life.
Rice appeared in two games in 2022 and 12 games in 2023, mostly on special teams. Hamrick played in 13 games as a freshman in 2022, recording nine tackles. He did not play in 2023. Shaw has played in 24 games in his first two seasons, recording 29 tackles.
The Tar Heels' spring game is scheduled for April 20.
