Former Ohio State and Penn State wide receiver Julian Fleming is facing multiple criminal charges — including homicide — in connection with an ATV accident earlier this year that claimed the life of his 23-year-old girlfriend, Alyssa Boyd.
Fleming, 24, was arraigned Wednesday on charges of vehicular homicide and aggravated vehicular assault in Bradford County (Pa.) Court.
According to state police, the former football player was riding an ATV on May 23 near the Pennsylvania-New York border when he struck a deer shortly after 8 p.m. Boyd was pronounced dead at the scene, while Fleming was transported to a nearby hospital before being released.
Pennsylvania State Police said at the time that neither Boyd nor Fleming were wearing safety gear.
Fleming was released on $75,000 bail later Wednesday, PennLive reported.
Court documents indicated Fleming’s blood alcohol level was 0.118, above the legal limit of 0.08 in Pennsylvania, the outlet reported.
According to a police affidavit, Fleming told state troopers he had consumed five or six beers before the ill-fated ATV ride. The affidavit also said Fleming told another person at the scene that he had been drinking.
Boyd’s online obituary said she graduated from the University of Alabama with a bachelor’s degree in psychology in December and was a standout athlete at Central Columbia High School.
Fleming’s attorney, David Bahuriak, told The Athletic that “our hearts go out to the young woman’s family.”
However, he insisted there was “no crime”.
In comments to TMZ, Bahuriak added that Fleming had “lost the love of his life” and questioned the charges against his client, saying they “do nothing to advance anyone’s interests.”
“In my opinion,” Bahuriak said, “the prosecution here took a tragic and unavoidable accident and turned it into a crime when the facts do not support it. The facts do not support criminal homicide.”
Fleming began his college football career at Ohio State in 2020 and spent four seasons in Columbus before transferring to Penn State. He appeared in 16 games in 2024, making 14 catches for 176 yards with one touchdown.
He was signed by the Packers as an undrafted free agent, but was released shortly after after failing a physical.
