Top NFL Draft Prospect Identified as Driver in Fatal Car Crash at University of Miami

At 4 a.m. on March 17, 2024, University of Miami defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. was driving a 2021 Land Rover SUV on Interstate 95 in Miami when his vehicle struck another car and then careened into concrete barriers on both sides of the highway [1][2]. Four people were inside Bain's vehicle. One of them, 22-year-old Destiny Betts, a college student from Georgia visiting Miami for spring break, suffered incapacitating injuries and was transported to Ryder Trauma Center [1][3]. She never regained consciousness. Nearly three months later, on June 13, 2024, Betts died [2][4].

For two years, the story stayed out of public view. Then, on April 12, 2026 — 11 days before the NFL Draft — journalist Ollie Connolly of The Read Optional published the details of the crash and Bain's role in it [1]. The report landed like a grenade in the pre-draft cycle, triggering a cascade of reactions from NFL front offices, media commentators, and Miami fans who accused Connolly of publishing a "hit piece" [5][6].

Bain is currently ranked No. 7 on the Consensus Big Board and projected as a top-10 selection in the 2026 NFL Draft [7][8]. What follows is a reconstruction of the crash, its legal aftermath, and the questions it raises about disclosure, due diligence, and how the NFL weighs tragedy against talent.

What the Crash Report Says

The Florida Highway Patrol crash report states that Bain "operated his vehicle in a careless or negligent manner" [1][2]. The vehicle, registered to Miami Sports 27 Inc., sustained disabling damage and had to be towed from the scene [1].

Two of Bain's Miami Hurricanes teammates — linebacker Wesley Bissainthe and Nyjalik Kelly (who later transferred to UCF) — were also passengers in the vehicle [1][3]. A second passenger was hospitalized with injuries, though the extent of those injuries has not been publicly detailed [3][4]. The crash report notes that Betts was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision [2].

Critically, no field sobriety test was administered at the scene [2][9]. According to the police report, Bain was noted as "apparently normal" and was not suspected of alcohol or drug use [9]. No toxicology results appear in public records for Bain in connection with the crash [2].

Bain was cited at the scene for careless driving — a traffic infraction under Florida law, not a criminal charge [1][2].

The Citation's Dismissal

Bain entered a not-guilty plea to the careless driving citation. The charge was dismissed due to what court records describe as a "defective citation" — approximately two weeks before Betts died on June 13, 2024, while she remained in a coma [1][2][4].

The timing of the dismissal has drawn scrutiny. The citation was disposed of on procedural grounds while the person most seriously injured in the crash was still alive and on life support [2]. No additional charges were filed after Betts's death, and no criminal investigation appears to have been reopened [1][4].

In a separate incident in October 2025, Bain was cited again for careless driving. That citation was also dismissed for the same reason — a "defective citation" [1][5]. The existence of a second citation has added to concerns among some NFL evaluators [5][10].

Who Was Destiny Betts?

Destiny Betts was a 22-year-old college student from Georgia [3][4]. Her family set up a GoFundMe page during her hospitalization, writing that "Destiny is a smart, caring young woman working towards her college degree" and noting that "the financial strain on her dad has been overwhelming" as he took time off work to be at her bedside [4][11].

In a statement provided to media after the story broke, Betts's family called the crash a "tragic accident" and said they "wish Mr. Bain the best as he continues his life and career" [11]. According to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, a civil lawsuit arising from the crash was filed and subsequently settled, though the terms of the settlement have not been disclosed [5][6].

The family's public statement, while generous in tone, leaves unanswered questions about the settlement's scope and whether it included any non-disclosure provisions. No family member has spoken further on the record as of this writing.

Who Knew, and When?

The disclosure timeline is one of the most contested aspects of this story. According to Breer, NFL teams "have been aware of this case for a long, long time" — well before the April 2026 report [5][6]. CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones confirmed that multiple teams had discussed the incident with Bain during the pre-draft evaluation process [6][12].

The University of Miami has not issued a public statement about the crash or about what, if anything, the athletic department knew at the time [3]. Bain continued to play for the Hurricanes through the 2024 and 2025 seasons. He was not suspended, disciplined, or publicly admonished by the university [7][8].

How NFL teams learned of the crash — whether through their own background investigations, through Bain's representatives, or through the civil lawsuit — has not been publicly established. One top-10 general manager told Breer that Bain "didn't seem willing to discuss the incident" during pre-draft interviews [5]. Another top-10 executive said Bain was open "to the extent he could be," suggesting possible legal constraints from the civil settlement [5][6].

Bain's On-Field Profile

Whatever the off-field questions, Bain's football credentials are not in dispute. He recorded 121 tackles, 33.5 tackles for loss, and 20.5 sacks across 38 career games at Miami [7][8]. As a true freshman in 2023, he logged 7.5 sacks and cracked the starting lineup by the third game of the season [7].

After a sophomore year limited by a soft-tissue injury (23 tackles, 3.5 sacks in 2024), Bain returned to full health in 2025 and produced one of the most dominant pass-rushing seasons in recent college football history [7][8]. His 83 pressures led all FBS players, and he earned a 92.5 overall PFF defensive grade — third among 852 qualified edge defenders [8]. He recorded five sacks across four College Football Playoff games as Miami reached the national championship [7][8].

Source: ESPN / PFF

Data as of Apr 13, 2026CSV

His arm length (under 31 inches at the NFL Combine) has been flagged as a physical concern for the edge position, but his production profile has kept him firmly in top-10 mock drafts [7][8].

The "Hit Piece" Debate

Within hours of the Read Optional report, Miami fans and some media figures accused Connolly of publishing a "hit piece" timed to damage Bain's draft stock [5][6]. Critics pointed to Connolly's apparent Ohio State fandom and argued the report omitted exculpatory details — namely that Bain's vehicle was traveling below the speed limit, that no drugs or alcohol were involved, and that the careless driving citation had been dismissed [5][6].

Breer pushed back against the framing of the report as new information, emphasizing that "every team in the NFL was very well aware" of the crash and that the civil lawsuit had been settled [5]. Jones reported that teams he had spoken with "outside of one" had been "satisfied with Bain's explanation" and considered the matter handled [6][12].

The counterargument from Connolly's defenders: the fact that NFL teams knew does not mean the public knew, and a 22-year-old woman's death connected to a future multimillionaire athlete is newsworthy regardless of the legal resolution [1]. The debate over whether this constitutes journalism or sabotage has become its own story, partly eclipsing the underlying facts.

Historical Precedent: NFL Players and Fatal Vehicle Incidents

Bain's case differs from the most prominent NFL vehicle-death cases in a significant way: he was never charged with a crime beyond a traffic citation, and that citation was dismissed. Previous high-profile cases involved DUI, excessive speed, or both.

Leonard Little (St. Louis Rams, 1998): Pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter after striking and killing Susan Gutweiler while driving under the influence. He received probation, 1,000 hours of community service, and 90 days in a city workhouse. Little went on to play 142 more NFL games after the incident [13][14].

Donte Stallworth (Cleveland Browns, 2009): Pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter after striking and killing pedestrian Mario Reyes in Miami Beach. He served 24 days in jail and was suspended for the entire 2009 season by Commissioner Roger Goodell. He returned and played 25 more games [13][14].

Josh Brent (Dallas Cowboys, 2012): Convicted of intoxication manslaughter after a crash that killed teammate Jerry Brown Jr. Brent was reinstated after a 10-game suspension and played 16 additional games [14].

Henry Ruggs III (Las Vegas Raiders, 2021): Charged with DUI resulting in death after crashing at 156 mph with a blood-alcohol level twice the legal limit, killing 23-year-old Tina Tintor. The Raiders released Ruggs within 24 hours. He has not played in the NFL since [13][14].

Source: NBC Sports / ESPN

Data as of Apr 13, 2026CSV

Bain's situation has no direct parallel among these cases. Each involved confirmed impairment or reckless behavior. Bain was not found to be impaired, and his only citation was dismissed on procedural grounds [1][2].

The NFL's Due-Diligence Apparatus

The NFL requires all draft prospects to authorize criminal background checks before attending the Scouting Combine or any draft event [15]. The league employs more than 70 independent investigators who run checks on the nearly 400 prospects invited to the Combine each year [15][16].

Beyond the league-administered process, individual teams conduct their own investigations, often hiring security firms, private investigators, or former FBI agents [15][16]. These investigations extend to interviews with coaches, family members, friends, and school officials [16].

There is no publicly known requirement for teams to disclose what their background checks uncover, nor is there a league mandate that scouting reports include specific off-field incidents [15]. The information is proprietary to each team's front office. Whether any team's formal scouting report on Bain mentioned the crash is unknown.

The Combine's exclusion criteria focus on specific categories of criminal conduct — primarily domestic violence convictions [15]. A dismissed careless driving citation would not trigger any known exclusion provision.

The Case That It Should Not Affect His Draft Stock

The strongest argument for why this incident should have no bearing on Bain's professional future rests on the legal record. Bain was not charged with any crime. The only citation — careless driving — was dismissed [1][2]. No field sobriety test indicated impairment. No toxicology results suggest substance use [2][9]. The crash report documented that he appeared "apparently normal" [9].

If the legal system processed this case and found no basis for criminal liability, the principled question becomes: on what grounds should a private tragedy reduce someone's professional livelihood? The Betts family's own public statement expressed good wishes for Bain's career [11]. The civil matter was settled [5].

Proponents of this view also point to a selective-outrage problem in sports media. Traffic fatalities involving college athletes are not rare. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 40,000 people die in motor vehicle crashes in the United States each year. When an athlete involved in such an incident is a projected first-round pick, the coverage intensity escalates in ways that may not be proportional to the facts of the case [5][6]. Whether other Power Five players involved in comparable incidents received similar scrutiny is an open question — and one that would require systematic analysis to answer fairly.

The Case That It Should

The counterargument is equally direct. A 22-year-old woman is dead. She was a passenger in a car driven by Bain at 4 a.m. on a highway, and the crash report itself uses the phrase "careless or negligent manner" [1][2]. The citation's dismissal on a procedural technicality — a "defective citation" — is not an exoneration on the merits [1][2]. The case was never adjudicated.

The existence of a second careless driving citation in October 2025, also dismissed on the same procedural grounds, raises questions about a pattern of driving behavior that NFL teams evaluating character and risk profiles would reasonably want to weigh [1][5][10].

NFL teams are investing tens of millions of dollars in guaranteed money in first-round picks. Due diligence on character and judgment is not a moral judgment on a person's worth — it is a risk assessment on a business investment [15][16]. Teams that have expressed concern about Bain's transparency during interviews are making a practical observation about whether a prospect is forthcoming about a serious incident in his past [5][10].

Contractual Exposure After the Draft

If Bain is drafted in the top 10, his rookie contract under the current CBA will carry a fully guaranteed four-year salary in the range of $30-40 million, depending on the exact draft slot [17]. NFL rookie contracts contain conduct-based default provisions that allow teams to void guaranteed money if a player is "reasonably believed by Club to have engaged in personal conduct that materially and adversely affects or reflects on Club" [17][18].

However, voidable year provisions are explicitly prohibited in rookie contracts under the current CBA [17]. A civil wrongful death verdict — which is no longer a possibility given the reported settlement — would have created a complex legal scenario, but because the civil matter has been resolved, that particular risk appears to be off the table [5][6].

The NFL's personal conduct policy gives the commissioner broad authority to impose discipline for conduct that "undermines or puts at risk the integrity of the NFL, NFL clubs, or NFL personnel" [14]. In theory, the commissioner could act on information about the crash even without a criminal conviction. In practice, discipline for a dismissed traffic citation with no finding of impairment would be unprecedented.

What Remains Unknown

Several significant questions remain unanswered as of April 13, 2026:

• The terms of the civil settlement: Whether the settlement included a non-disclosure agreement, and whether such an agreement constrained Bain's ability to discuss the crash with NFL teams during interviews [5][6].
• The University of Miami's knowledge: Whether the athletic department was aware of the crash, when it learned of Betts's death, and whether any internal review was conducted [3].
• The "defective citation" explanation: What specifically made the citations defective has not been publicly detailed. Whether this reflects a clerical error by law enforcement or an issue raised by Bain's legal representation is unclear [1][2].
• The second crash: Details of the October 2025 careless driving incident beyond the citation and its dismissal have not been reported [1][5].
• Comparative coverage: Whether other Power Five athletes involved in fatal or serious traffic incidents during the same period received comparable media attention has not been systematically examined.

Ten Days to the Draft

The 2026 NFL Draft begins April 23 in Green Bay [7]. As of this writing, multiple league sources indicate the report is unlikely to materially change Bain's draft position. Breer stated flatly: "I don't think this is going to change where Bain gets picked in the draft" [5]. Jones reported broad satisfaction among team evaluators [6][12].

The New Orleans Saints, picking at No. 5 overall and in need of a pass rusher, have been linked to Bain, though some reporting suggests the team may be reconsidering in light of the renewed attention [10]. The Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys have also been mentioned as potential landing spots [10].

For the teams that select him, the calculus appears to be straightforward: a dismissed citation, a settled civil matter, a family that has publicly wished him well, and a player whose 83 pressures in 2025 led every edge defender in college football [5][6][8]. For those who see it differently, the calculus is just as simple: a young woman died in a car he was driving, and the full facts have never been publicly adjudicated.

Destiny Betts was 22 years old. Rueben Bain Jr. is 21. The draft is in 10 days. These facts coexist.