The legal fallout from the March 2024 high-speed crash on a Dallas highway continues to grow, as former SMU cornerback Teddy Knox has been hit with a $2.88 million default judgment. This latest development follows a ruling from Judge Kim Bailey Phipps, who found Knox to be grossly negligent for his role in the incident.
According to Fox News, a default judgment typically occurs when a lawsuit receives no formal response or when a party fails to appear in court, which is exactly what happened here. This marks the third such judgment issued against Knox, who was previously ordered to pay $1.99 million to Irina Gromova and $1.63 million to Edvard Petrovskiy for damages resulting from the collision.
The crash involved a high-speed race between Knox, who was driving a Chevrolet Corvette, and Kansas City Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice, who was behind the wheel of a Lamborghini Urus. On March 30, 2024, the two vehicles were traveling on the North Central Expressway in Dallas when the situation spiraled into a chain reaction collision.
That Corvette vs Lamborghini race aged terribly
The impact involved four other vehicles after the Lamborghini struck a retaining wall. Video footage from the scene captured five men exiting the vehicles and walking away, leaving the occupants of the other cars behind without checking on their condition. Two people involved in the crash had to be transported to a hospital, while two others received treatment for minor injuries on the scene.
Marc Lenahan, the attorney representing crash victim Kathryn Kuykendall, provided some insight into the legal proceedings. “We’ve asked the court to grant the default judgment because we’re ethically required to as a matter of diligence,” Lenahan said in a statement. He also noted, “Personally, it pleases us that Teddy hasn’t made further mistakes that we’re aware of. If a team gives him a chance to prove that he’s walking the right path now, we’ll be rooting for him.”
The criminal consequences for both participants have been significant. Knox and Rice both pleaded guilty to charges related to the incident. Specifically, Knox was sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years of probation after being charged with causing a collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury. Rice faced similar legal hurdles.
He received five years of deferred probation and a 30-day jail sentence, which the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office noted would be flexible in terms of when it is served. As part of his plea agreement, Rice was also ordered to pay $115,481.91 to cover the out-of-pocket medical expenses of the victims. Beyond the courtroom, the professional impact on both players has been severe.
Rice was suspended for six games by the NFL for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, a suspension he served during the last season. At the time of that decision, Rice issued a statement through his attorney expressing his regret. He stated that he has had “a lot of sleepless nights thinking about the damages my actions caused, and I will continue working within my means to make sure that everyone impacted will be made whole.”
Knox saw his football career effectively derailed by the crash. Following the incident, he was suspended by SMU and has not returned to college football since. He had previously played at Mississippi State before transferring to SMU. The legal complications for the group did not stop at the initial charges. Following the March crash, Rice also faced a separate investigation in May 2024 regarding an allegation that he punched a photographer at a downtown Dallas club.
That situation did not lead to an arrest or criminal charges, as the victim eventually declined to press the matter. The civil lawsuits have been complex and ongoing. Rice previously agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by two victims for $1 million plus legal fees, though he still dealt with another lawsuit from a different victim seeking between $250,000 and $1 million in damages.
It is a stark reminder of how quickly a life can change when poor choices are made behind the wheel; the severity of these consequences seems valid, as car crashes are serious incidents that can take innocent lives.
Published: Apr 17, 2026 02:45 pm