CBS 2: 6 other Illini knew of accident, none called 911

[whitesoxfan101]

Figured this deserved it's own thread too, as it's new news....

 

http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_052231703.html

 

6 Illini Players May Have Known About Car Crash

Investigation Continues Into Why Jamar Smith And Teammates Did Not Call For Help

 

Jay Levine

Reporting

 

(CBS) CHICAGO An accident involving Illini basketball players and alcohol continues to make headlines at the University of Illinois.

 

CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine has learned that while one player says he will plead not guilty to felony charges, university officials are about to start investigating the actions of several others.

 

Brian Carlwell, the 6-foot-11-inch Illini freshman from Maywood, was on the bench for Wednesday night’s game, and perhaps lucky to be there.

 

Last week, he was in the passenger seat of a car, critically injured when it crashed into a tree. He spent four days in intensive care. The driver of that car, Carlwell's teammate Jamar Smith, was also at the game, though he has left the team.

 

Wednesday afternoon Smith was booked on charges of drunk driving and leaving the scene of an accident.

 

“We will treat Jamar Smith the same as we would treat anyone else in those circumstances. We’re not being harder on him because he's an athlete and we're not being easier on him, not treating him any differently because of it either,” said Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz.

 

Investigators say after the accident, Smith drove back to the apartment where he had been drinking earlier, leaving an unconscious Carlwell in the car.

 

“I was extremely shocked by it,” said one woman who says she saw Smith leave the car.

 

The woman, watching from her window, made the only call to 911.

 

Investigators say Smith told other players at the apartment what had happened.

 

Wednesday night, CBS 2 has learned that at least six other members of the basketball team were in that apartment. They include starters Chester Frazier, a sophomore from Baltimore and Smith's roommate; Shaun Pruitt, a junior from west suburban Aurora; and Brian Randle, another junior from Peoria.

 

Illinois' dean of students wants to know why no one there called for help.

 

William Riley tells CBS 2 his investigation will begin within the week into student code violations like underage drinking, which may have led to reckless endangerment of another student.

 

Riley says that basketball coach Bruce Weber could impose his own sanctions on the other players involved for violating team rules or conduct detrimental to the program.

 

But Weber has not done that yet, and he has not been available to talk about it. All those players were available for Wednesday night’s victory over Michigan.

 

At least Jamar was on the bench in his warm ups tonight!! Maybe Bruce will suspend the others 1 game each to teach them a lesson!! Weber is going to lose his job over this....and I hope some players lose their free education, too. I can't believe that EVERY crazy rumor I heard is coming true. What a joke/nightmare (and this story ONLY mentions 3 of the other 6, although maybe the other 3 are scrubs and that is why they weren't mentioned, but either way.....ugh)

[EvilJester99]

Some real quality people there....

[IlliniKrush]

It's possible none of them called 911 because they all believed he was dead and they were possibly trying to figure out a way to make this look like an accident to the police, which is just unbelievable.

 

This story gets worse every day.

[hitlesswonder]

Some real quality people there....

 

It's a university that educated 11 Nobel prize winner and has had another 10 on the faculty. It's given the world the web browesr, paypal and youtube. And all anyone will hear about is that it's a racist institution because some idiots are abnormally attached to watching a guy dressed as an Indian jump around, and that the basketball team likes to leave teammates to die while they try to cover up a DUI accident.

 

What an absolute embarassment. The University administration should announce today that it's forfeiting the rest of the season. Those 6 guys need to kicked off the team...actually I wouldn't be upset if they just abolished the whole athletic department.

[whitesoxfan101]

Bruce said last night that Jamar was on the bench because the team wanted him to be there I guess, based on what I read. Well first of all, you don't let the inmates run the asylum (literally in this case, possibly) but second off, they are probably standing up for Jamar since half of THEM were also in the wrong that night (although not as bad as Jamar, but still). This is textbook lack of instituational control, but these kids are a bad bunch as well.

 

It's a university that educated 11 Nobel prize winner and has had another 10 on the faculty. It's given the world the web browesr, paypal and youtube. And all anyone will hear about is that it's a racist institution because some idiots are abnormally attached to watching a guy dressed as an Indian jump around, and that the basketball team likes to leave teammates to die while they try to cover up a DUI accident.

 

What an absolute embarassment. The University administration should announce today that it's forfeiting the rest of the season. Those 6 guys need to kicked off the team...actually I wouldn't be upset if they just abolished the whole athletic department.

 

Well said, and I can't say i disagree with a word of it. I feel guilty rooting for this team (outside of Carlwell and how forgiving he has been, and Warren Carter, who i'm just about positive wasn't at that party and who is also a really good guy) and they are just so....yeah I'll stop. I just agree with you.

[Dick Allen]

The way this is being handled by the U of I athletic department is unbelievably pathetic. Smith on the bench the day he gets bailed out of jail? Forget about the numerous transgressions he had that night. He's breaking the law just sucking back 1 beer. I don't like the Illini, and never have, but I've always kind of admired Weber and thought any criticism of him was pretty unfair. Last night's "decision" is just more poor judgement, and for that he and the AD should resign. If they refuse, they should be fired. As an Iowa alum and a guy who initially supported Alford's decision to support Pierre Pierce, and seeing all the Illinois fans, students and alumni's reaction and rip job on that, and listening to many of the Illinois apologists on the radio yesterday sticking up for Smith, I almost could laugh at this, if it wasn't so sad. At least there was a little doubt when Alford supported Pierce during his first crime, it was a he said/she said thing, and he was professing his innocence. There is no denying Smith was drinking underage, drunk, driving, got into an accident, and left his teammate for dead. BTW, when Pierce was busted for the second time, I do believe Alford should have been shown the door. I guess Smith learned one thing playing basketball at Illinois for a couple of years. He looks good in orange. A color he probably will be wearing 24 hours a day for a couple of years.

[whitesoxfan101]

The way this is being handled by the U of I athletic department is unbelievably pathetic. Smith on the bench the day he gets bailed out of jail? Forget about the numerous transgressions he had that night. He's breaking the law just sucking back 1 beer. I don't like the Illini, and never have, but I've always kind of admired Weber and thought any criticism of him was pretty unfair. Last night's "decision" is just more poor judgement, and for that he and the AD should resign. If they refuse, they should be fired. As an Iowa alum and a guy who initially supported Alford's decision to support Pierre Pierce, and seeing all the Illinois fans, students and alumni's reaction and rip job on that, and listening to many of the Illinois apologists on the radio yesterday sticking up for Smith, I almost could laugh at this, if it wasn't so sad. At least there was a little doubt when Alford supported Pierce during his first crime, it was a he said/she said thing, and he was professing his innocence. There is no denying Smith was drinking underage, drunk, driving, got into an accident, and left his teammate for dead. BTW, when Pierce was busted for the second time, I do believe Alford should have been shown the door. I guess Smith learned one thing playing basketball at Illinois for a couple of years. He looks good in orange. A color he probably will be wearing 24 hours a day for a couple of years.

 

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree 110 percent with you, Mr. Iowa fan. And I hate the stupid Illini apologist fans too, however luckily none of those fools are on this board. Hence it's the only place I can go to vent/discuss this.

[fathom]

I've said this for a week now: Bruce Weber is going to lose his job because of this. The fact Smith was on the bench last night is pathetic. Now that the University is investigating the actions of others, a lot of bad things are going to be exposed.

[Texsox]

Something is wrong when a coach makes more than all those Nobel winners combined. The team should bring prestige and entertainment to a campus. But, today, it only needs to bring money. Nobody would like the solution. Take all college athletics off TV. Give up the revenues. Remove the money and you remove the entitlement and cheating that goes on in the name of Amateur Athletics.

[Jimbo's Drinker]

hmmm maybe the entire team was drinking and doing other illegal activities,and did not want to get themseleves in trouble..Illinois is in lots of trouble.

 

They basically tried to "kill" their teammate by not going to help him.

Edited February 22, 2007 by Jimbo's Drinker

[hitlesswonder]

Something is wrong when a coach makes more than all those Nobel winners combined. The team should bring prestige and entertainment to a campus. But, today, it only needs to bring money. Nobody would like the solution. Take all college athletics off TV. Give up the revenues. Remove the money and you remove the entitlement and cheating that goes on in the name of Amateur Athletics.

 

I agree -- revenue generating college athletics is simply a disfunctional system. It's based on offering people, the majority of whom don't want a college degree, a scholarship in return for performing athletically and making millions of dollars for the NCAA, ESPN, and the schools involved. And playing for a college is a player's ticket to shot at a professional career, there's really no good altternative for them. the whole thing is just a mess. Just the legal, above-board garbage that goes on in high pressure recruiting (see the Post's artcleon Benn and Notre Dame) is obnoxious. I can't even imagine what goes on below-board.

 

I'm sure it's not a popular opinion, but I'd rather schools just concentrated on education and research. I love basketball, but I think it would be much better just to have people who want to play ball go to the NBDL and play proffesionally (sort of like what happens in Europe). That would be the true market-based solution, where basketball players get to offer their services to the highest bidders, and there's no NCAA to superfically enforce "amateurness". But, I realize that's just not going happen.

[southsider2k5]

This has just gotten so sad.

[Texsox]

Teenagers and young adults make errors in judgement. Some of those errors result in embarrasment, some ruin their lives. This is in the ruin their and other's lives range. Unlike Baylor, thankfully no one died. Sad for the players not involved, the fans, and school but call it a season, cut everyone lose and start over.

[Jimbo's Drinker]

Teenagers and young adults make errors in judgement. Some of those errors result in embarrasment, some ruin their lives. This is in the ruin their and other's lives range. Unlike Baylor, thankfully no one died. Sad for the players not involved, the fans, and school but call it a season, cut everyone lose and start over.

 

 

There is so much more to this story, we will wait and see.

[Texsox]

There is so much more to this story, we will wait and see.

 

It keeps getting worse. But you are correct, canceling a season, a la Duke Lacrosse, is always risky.

[Jimbo's Drinker]

This is really not going to help there lackluster recruiting either. 2008 is a big year and parents are not going to trust Coach McSqueak with this floating around.

[hitlesswonder]

This is really not going to help there lackluster recruiting either. 2008 is a big year and parents are not going to trust Coach McSqueak with this floating around.

 

I don't think that should matter. The University of Illinois administartion should simply focus on doing the right thing now, scew worrying about recruiting and their precious streak of NCAA appearances. Are the facts of the case are in doubt? Smith drove a car while intoxicated and then left the scene of an accident, and he had 5 other players left Carlwell in the car to try and cover up what happenend rather than seek medical help from. Oh, and an assistant coach was called for advice and he didn't tell them to call 911 and didn't call himself.

 

I understand the prudence of waiting for the legal system to resolve the case and for an internal investogation to be completed before taking permanent action like firing a coach and kicking people off the team. But it wouldn't be out of line to cancel the rest of the season and suspend people with pay pending the outcome of the investigation, in my opinion. The lose of the remaining season would be unfair to those on the team not involved, but it certainly would be a motivating factor to prevent something like this from happening again.

[Flash Tizzle]

It's possible none of them called 911 because they all believed he was dead and they were possibly trying to figure out a way to make this look like an accident to the police, which is just unbelievable.

 

This story gets worse every day.

It has been strange how few people within the media have raised this possibility. Which I believe is entirely possible. If a concerned resident of the apartment complex didn't call 911, what would have happened? They may, as you have suggested, been in the intial stages of planning a coverup.

 

Next question someone should ask -- did any of the coaching staff know about the accident prior to a resident calling 911?

[Palehosefan]

Maybe Illinois should just clean house completely and start over with the program ala Baylor.

[Jimbo's Drinker]

It has been strange how few people within the media have raised this possibility. Which I believe is entirely possible. If a concerned resident of the apartment complex didn't call 911, what would have happened? They may, as you have suggested, been in the intial stages of planning a coverup.

 

Next question someone should ask -- did any of the coaching staff know about the accident prior to a resident calling 911?

 

 

bingo, and we shall see what was being done illegally in that apartment.

[fathom]

Next question someone should ask -- did any of the coaching staff know about the accident prior to a resident calling 911?

 

Everything I've heard says that yes, a member of the staff was alerted to what was going on.

[WhiteSoxfan1986]

Everything I've heard says that yes, a member of the staff was alerted to what was going on.

 

This just keeps getting worse and worse, and it's not even over.

[thedoctor]

Maybe Illinois should just clean house completely and start over with the program ala Baylor.

 

i don't think this reaches even close to the level of what happened at baylor, so i'll disagree on that point.

 

personally, i want to wait until the facts are revealed before making any decisions in this (excepting jamar, who i've said should be gone).

 

there are a lot of variables out there, but there's also no clear timeline to me of what happened.

 

for example, it sounds bad if people say jamar called wayne mcclain and asked him what to do. first, no one knows what wayne said, when he might have been called, or where that call relates in the timeline of events. it's impossible to draw conclusions until those facts are out there.

 

same with the six players. on its face that just sounds bad. but again, what was the time frame we're talking about? i've read in some places that 911 was called when jamar was driving his effed up car back into the complex. if that was the case, what is normal response time for medics to arrive? five minutes? 10 minutes? and when in relation to this did jamar and chester go to the car.

 

i just think there's a lot of questions here that need to be answered before we decide to discontinue the program. some of these things may end up being worse than we thought, or they may end up being a lot more explainable.

[Jimbo's Drinker]

This just keeps getting worse and worse, and it's not even over.

 

 

That is probably why its getting worse...its not even over...

 

How many DUI's or arrests is this under Squak's patrol?

[LowerCaseRepublican]

Man, Carlwell must seem really wanted on that team.

 

He's hurt and they don't even bother to get him help.

 

What a bunch of idiots putting yet another black eye on my alma mater.