Aston Villa star Jack Grealish has been charged with crashing his £80,000 Range Rover into parked cars then fleeing the scene after ‘spending the night at a lockdown party’.
The Premier League footballer, who earns £45,000 a week, was postal charged over the incident in Solihull which took place on March 29.
A police investigation was launched following reports from witnesses and Grealish, 24, is due to appear before Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on August 25.
A police investigation was launched following reports from witnesses of the white range rover, above, crashing into parked cars. Grealish is due to appear at court in August
A man resembling Grealish was previously seen leaving Dickens Heath, close to a luxury flat owned by former team-mate Ross McCormack, with an unzipped backpack and a sky-blue hoodie.
The alleged crash came shortly after the captain warned people to ‘stay at home’ during the coronavirus crisis.
He was fined £150,000 for breaking lockdown laws and it was thought he would not face any further action.
Around the time of the incident, a witness told MailOnline: ‘They went to collect their possessions before leaving the scene before the police arrived. We were watching and my partner saw them leaving the building and head off down the road quickly.’
Grealish was then pictured with former Leeds United player Tony Capaldi, a former team-mate of McCormack’s at Cardiff City, with locals claiming they had attended a party at McCormack’s house on Saturday night.
A witness previously told MailOnline: ‘We live near the estate he stayed partying overnight, his car was parked in the street all night.
An image of a man resembling Jack Grealish, wearing odd footwear, circulated on social media, claiming he was near the incident in Solihull on March 29
‘The commotion outside when he was hitting cars was tremendous, and the estate security guard saw him reverse into a van and hit a Mercedes causing significant damage to all cars.’
A neighbour told The Sun: ‘The party had been going on all night. It was unbearable. The noise had only stopped a short while when, just after 8am, there were a series of almighty collisions which reverberated through the flats.
‘Outside, Jack Grealish was stood next to his car rowing with a security guard.
The alleged crash came shortly after the captain warned people to ‘stay at home’ during the coronavirus crisis
‘It was strange to see an England ace looking so unkempt and dishevelled. He looked unsteady and confused.’
Grealish later said he was ‘deeply embarrassed’ by the incident and issued an apology on social media.
His club said in a statement at the time: ‘Aston Villa is deeply disappointed that one of our players ignored the Government’s guidance on staying at home during the Coronavirus crisis.
‘Club Captain Jack Grealish has accepted that his decision to leave his house was wrong and entirely unnecessary.
‘It breached the government guidelines which are clear and should be adhered to by everybody.
‘The player will be disciplined and fined with the proceeds donated to The University Hospitals Charity in Birmingham.’
In a statement, West Midlands Police said: ‘A Premier League footballer has been charged with driving without due care and attention, and failing to stop at or report a collision.
Grealish, pictured in March, was fined £150,000 for breaking lockdown laws at the time and it was thought he would not face any further action
‘Jack Grealish is accused of the offences in Waterside, Dickens Heath, Solihull, on Sunday 29 March.
‘An investigation was launched after we responded to reports of a car hitting parked vehicles and the driver fleeing on foot.
‘The 24-year-old from Barnt Green, Worcestershire, has been postal charged to appear before Birmingham Magistrates Court on 25 August.’
Grealish captained Villa during last night’s 0-0 draw against Sheffield United, the first Premier League game since lockdown.