UGA Football Player, Mother Arrested After High-Speed Police Chase in Commerce

COMMERCE, GA — A University of Georgia football player and his mother were arrested following a high-speed police chase Sunday morning in Jackson County.

Authorities said officers initially stopped Daniels’ mother for running a stop sign. During that stop, Daniels allegedly sped past police in his vehicle at more than 100 mph through downtown Commerce, where the speed limit is 25 mph. The chase spanned local streets and continued onto Interstate 85, where officers eventually lost sight of his vehicle and discontinued the pursuit.

Daniels’ mother was later arrested after allegedly blocking police during the pursuit. Officials said a UGA football coach later drove Daniels back to police, where he turned himself in.

Charges:
Nyier Daniels: reckless driving, fleeing or attempting to elude police, two counts of stop/yield violations, and two counts of cruelty to children in the second degree.
Mother: speeding, running stop signs, obstruction, failure to maintain lane, reckless driving, and fleeing from law enforcement.

The UGA Athletic Department released a statement: “We are aware of the charges and are gathering additional information. This is a pending legal matter, and we will not have further comment at this time.” Daniels, a redshirt freshman, played in a handful of games this season, including the Charlotte game the night before his arrest.