Former Ohio State and Penn State wide receiver Julian Fleming is facing serious felony charges stemming from a fatal ATV crash that claimed the life of his girlfriend, Alyssa Boyd, in May.
Fleming, 24, appeared in Bradford County Court on Wednesday, October 8, for arraignment on homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, vehicular homicide, aggravated assault by vehicle while under the influence, aggravated assault, drunken driving, operating a vehicle in careless disregard unintentionally causing a death, speeding, operating an ATV in a careless manner and operating an ATV on a street. He was released on $75,000 bail.
Investigators say the crash occurred around 8:10 p.m. on May 23 in Columbia Township, Pennsylvania, when the couple’s ATV struck a deer that ran into the roadway. Boyd, 23, was thrown from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene from multiple traumatic injuries, including a skull fracture.
Fleming, who was briefly knocked unconscious, later told police he had consumed “five or six beers” before the crash. His blood-alcohol content measured .118, above Pennsylvania’s legal driving limit of .08, according to the Pennsylvania State Police affidavit. Neither Fleming nor Boyd was wearing a helmet.
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“This was a tragic accident for everyone involved,” Fleming’s attorney, David Bahuriak, said in a statement to The Athletic. “Our hearts go out to the family of the young woman, but there is no crime here.”
Witnesses told police they saw the ATV traveling between an estimated 30 and 40 miles per hour shortly before the collision. One woman said she heard “a pop followed by three banging sounds” and drove toward the scene, where she found Fleming injured and Boyd unresponsive.
The affidavit also states that after regaining consciousness, Fleming became “frantic” as he tried to check for Boyd’s pulse. Troopers later found deer hair on multiple parts of the ATV and a deceased deer nearby.
Police said Fleming, through his attorney, invoked his Fifth Amendment right and declined to answer further questions five days after the accident.
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Fleming, a Southern Columbia High School graduate from Elysburg, Pennsylvania, was one of the top football recruits in the country coming out of high school. Rated the No. 3 overall player and top wide receiver in the 2020 recruiting class by 247Sports, he committed to Ohio State, where he played three seasons before transferring to Penn State in 2024.
Fleming had issues with injuries throughout his college experience, losing his freshman and sophomore year to them before breaking out his junior year.
He finished his college career with 979 receiving yards and six touchdowns across 42 games. Earlier this year, he signed as an undrafted free agent with the Green Bay Packers, but was released after failing a physical from hip and back injuries.
Boyd, a Bloomsburg native, was set to graduate from the University of Alabama in December with a degree in psychology. Her obituary described her as a standout athlete who competed in soccer, basketball, and track.
