EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – NOVEMBER 09: Marcus Maye #20 of the New York Jets on the field ahead of a game against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium on November 9, 2020 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
New York Jets safety Marcus Maye has been charged with drunken driving after a car crash in Florida in February.
Broward County court records show the 28-year-old Maye was charged with three misdemeanors — driving under the influence, DUI/damage to property, and leaving the scene of an accident — on Feb. 22 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A Zoom hearing is scheduled for Oct. 20 in the case.
ESPN first reported the crash and charges Monday night.
Maye is also facing a civil lawsuit “in excess” of $30,000 filed by the driver of the car he hit, according to court documents.
“Marcus Maye has not committed any crime, nor was he either intoxicated or impaired,” Eric Schwartzreich, Maye's lawyer, said in an email to The Associated Press. “Mr. Maye will have his day in court on these erroneous misdemeanor accusations, where we are confident that he will be found not guilty.”
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The crash had not previously been reported publicly, and it's unclear if Maye told the Jets about the incident before Monday night. The team told the AP it would have no comment since it is a pending legal matter.
Maye's arrest could subject him to the NFL's personal conduct policy and result in the safety being suspended. League spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed to the AP the NFL is reviewing the matter under its policies. Maye could also be subject to discipline if he didn't inform the Jets.
According to a police report, Maye was driving in a black 2018 Mercedes SUV on Florida's Turnpike at 7:33 p.m. when the vehicle hit the left rear of a Volvo. Police found Maye alone in the driver's seat on the side of the road, and his car had damage to the front that was consistent with the damage to the back of the Volvo.
The police officer wrote in the report that Maye was “unresponsive when approached and moving side to side” and “seemed unaware of what was occurring.” The officer also wrote that Maye's eyes appeared bloodshot, his speech was slurred and vomit was observed on the driver's door and on the floor. Maye also was “slow to walk and had a sway to his balance,” the officer wrote.
The report says Maye told the officer he wasn't drinking that night and said the smell the officer noticed was from two days earlier. Maye declined to provided a breath sample and was arrested. He posted bond in the amount of $1,500. The court documents say it was Maye's first DUI offense.
There were no injuries reported, but the driver of the Volvo, Jamila Abraham of Belle Glade, Florida, filed a civil suit.
Maye, in his fifth season with the Jets and the team's longest-tenured player, is currently sidelined by an ankle injury and is expected to be out a few more weeks. His agent, Erik Burkhardt, tweeted last week that Maye "should be back fully healthy just before the trade deadline” and added a handshake emoji.
That has further fueled speculation that Maye, in a contract dispute with the Jets, could be dealt by the NFL's deadline on Nov. 2.
Maye was voted a team captain last season and selected the Jets' MVP by his teammates. A second-round pick out of Florida in 2017, Maye was given the franchise tag by the Jets during the offseason and the sides were unable to reach an agreement on a long-term extension. He's playing this season on the franchise tag amount of $10.6 million.
