DALLAS — Two people who say they were injured in the crash involving Kansas City Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice and SMU football player Theodore Knox are suing the athletes for over $10 million, according to court documents filed last week.
The lawyer for Edvard Petrovskiy and Irina Gromova filed the lawsuit in Dallas County District Court on April 11, seeking at least $1 million in actual damages and $10 million in punitive damages.
The lawsuit alleges that Petrovskiy and Gromova suffered multiple injuries, including brain trauma, lacerations and contusions, disfigurement and internal bleeding, in the March 31 crash on U.S. 75 in Dallas.
Gromova was driving a Lexus SUV when the crash happened, while Petrovskiy was riding in the passenger seat. Dashcam footage of the crash shows what appears to be their vehicle get hit from behind, and then spun, as Rice and Knox lost control of their vehicles.
After the crash, Rice and Knox left the scene, police said.
Rice through his attorney Royce West has acknowledged his role in the crash.
"However, it is abundantly evident that no goodwill was displayed at the scene," the lawsuit said. "Moreover, it is obvious that by the time Rice had his moral awakening, the opportunity to gather evidence about Rice's and Knox's mental state and level of intoxication from any intoxicating substances would be forever diminished or lost. The Defendants' flight from the scene creates circumstances that could only be motivated by collusion to conceal the whole truth and evade full accountability."
Both Rice and Knox have been arrested in the case on multiple charges: Six counts of collision involving bodily injury, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury and one count of aggravated assault. All of the charges are felonies.
Collision involving injury carries a penalty of imprisonment in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for not more than five years or confinement in the county jail for not more than one year, a fine not to exceed $5,000, or both.
Collision involving serious bodily injury – a third-degree felony – carries a punishment of imprisonment in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice of not more than 10 years or less than 2 years. Aggravated assault – a second-degree felony – is punishable by two to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Rice, who went to SMU before getting drafted by the Chiefs, grew up in North Richland Hills in Tarrant County. Chiefs coach Andy Reid on Monday said that Rice would participate in the team's voluntary offseason program beginning this week.
Knox, a junior cornerback from Baton Rouge, La., has been suspended by SMU, the school told WFAA.
More coverage of Rashee Rice: