Raheem Sterling charged with dangerous driving after motorway crash
Raheem Sterling, the England international footballer, has been charged with dangerous driving and possession of nitrous oxide following a single-vehicle crash on the M3 motorway in May.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight constabulary confirmed the charges, which relate to a collision on the southbound carriageway near Minley interchange on 28 May. No other vehicles were involved and no injuries were reported. The vehicle involved was Sterling's Lamborghini, valued at around £270,000 (The Sun).
The 31-year-old, from Berkshire, faces three accusations: dangerous driving, possession of nitrous oxide for wrongful inhalation, and failing to provide a specimen. Nitrous oxide, sometimes called "laughing gas," is a substance that became a controlled drug in the UK in 2023. Sterling is due to appear at Basingstoke magistrates court on 15 September. If convicted of dangerous driving, he could face up to two years in prison (Yahoo Sports).
Sterling's career has taken him to some of the biggest clubs in English and European football. He came through the youth academy at Queens Park Rangers before joining Liverpool, where he made his senior debut as a teenager. A move to Manchester City in 2015 brought the richest haul of his career — four Premier League titles, five League Cups and the FA Cup. He left for Chelsea in 2022 and spent the 2024–25 season on loan at Arsenal before joining Dutch side Feyenoord on a short-term deal that has now expired. He is currently without a club (The Guardian).
At international level, Sterling scored 20 goals in 82 appearances for England. He was a key figure in two of the national team's deepest tournament runs, helping Gareth Southgate's side reach the 2018 World Cup semi-finals in Russia and the Euro 2020 final at Wembley. He was appointed an MBE in the 2021 Queen's birthday honours for his campaigning work on racial equality in sport.
The charges come at a transitional moment in Sterling's professional life. Out of contract and searching for a new club, the court appearance on 15 September will now sit alongside whatever his next footballing move turns out to be. His representatives have not yet publicly commented on the charges.
