Chiefs' Rashee Rice, SMU's Teddy Knox face $10 million lawsuit for crash

Kansas City Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice and Southern Methodist cornerback Teddy Knox are being sued for more than $10 million for damages from people who say they were "severely injured" in the multi-vehicle crash last month in Texas.

Irina Gromova and Edvard Petrovskiy are the plaintiffs in the lawsuit filed in Dallas County, Texas on April 11. The two alleged Rice and Knox purposely drove their vehicles at high speeds and showed negligence toward the victims of the crash that occurred on March 30 in Dallas.

The two vehicles Rice and Knox drove in the crash were leased by Rice, and in the lawsuit, the plaintiffs alleged the football players challenged each other to a race in their high-speed cars. After the crash, Gromova and Petrovskiy say Rice and Knox didn't show any remorse or compassion after the collision that resulted in injuries to several people.

"Despite innocent victims calling for emergency help and desperately trying to exit their destroyed vehicles in state of shock, (Rice and Knox) intentionally, knowingly evaded assisting injured commuters and absconded from the scene," the lawsuit reads. "The victims and bystanders of the carnage tried to engage the (Rice and Knox), but they were ignored in (their) attempt to flee without responsibility."

The lawsuit reads Gromova was the driver of one of the vehicles involved and Petrovskiy was the passenger. Both were wearing seatbelts at the time of the accident, according to the suit. The two claim they suffered several injuries as a result of the crash.

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"They were severely injured by the tremendous force of the high-speed impact," the lawsuit reads. "Injuries include trauma to the brain, lacerations to the face requiring stitches, multiple contusions about the body, disfigurement, internal bleeding and other internal and external injuries that may only be fully revealed over the course of medical treatment."

Because of the injuries and damage to the vehicle, Gromova and Petrovskiy are suing for $10 million in punitive damages, $1 million in actual damages for medical care, physical impairment, loss of earnings, mental anguish and property damage.

Dallas Police previously announced both Rice and Knox face the same eight charges: one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury and six counts of collision involving injury following the accident.

Rice turned himself in to police on Thursday and was subsequently released on bond. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said on Monday the team expects Rice to remotely participate in the beginning of its voluntary offseason program with virtual meetings. The NFL is monitoring the case, which is subject to discipline under the league’s personal conduct policy. Knox was suspended by the SMU football team.