A prominent Adelaide Crows AFL defender is scheduled to appear in court following a collision with a pedestrian that occurred on his commute to team training earlier this month.
25-year-old Josh Worrell was traveling along Port Road in Woodville, on the outer boundary of Adelaide, when his vehicle struck a 29-year-old male pedestrian early Friday morning, leaving the pedestrian with physical injuries from the crash.
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, Worrell offered to transport the injured man to a local hospital for treatment. While both parties later attended a police station to file an official report of the collision that same afternoon, their report fell outside the mandatory reporting window required by South Australian law, leaving Worrell facing formal criminal charges.
In an official statement released following the completion of initial investigations, South Australia Police confirmed that the AFL player has been cited for two offenses: aggravated driving without due care, and failure to present to a police station within the legally required 90-minute window after a collision that resulted in injury. Authorities added that Worrell will receive a summons ordering him to appear at a local court for arraignment at a future date.
In a surprising turn of events just one day after the crash, Worrell suited up for the Adelaide Crows and played the full 90-minute match against the Gold Coast Suns at Adelaide Oval, where the Crows secured a dominant 128-49 victory.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Crows head coach Matthew Nicks confirmed that the club is prioritizing support for the young defender as he navigates the legal aftermath of the incident. “It’s been a pretty challenging few days for Josh, he’s working through after his accident,” Nicks told journalists. “But we’re just doing whatever we can to support him through that.”
Media outlets have approached Adelaide Football Club for additional comment on the incident and the club’s internal review process, with further updates expected as the legal case progresses.