Former Penn State and Ohio State wide receiver Julian Fleming entered a guilty plea on April 30, 2026, to involuntary manslaughter and driving under the influence in connection with the May 2025 ATV crash that killed his 23-year-old girlfriend, Alyssa Boyd, in Bradford County, Pennsylvania. Under the agreement, which still requires a judge’s approval, Fleming faces nine to 23 months in the Bradford County Correctional Facility followed by three years of probation. Sentencing is set for July 13, 2026.1Fox 56. Former Penn State Football Player Pleads Guilty in Fatal Bradford County ATV Crash
What Fleming Pleaded To and What Was Dropped
Fleming pleaded guilty to two counts: misdemeanor involuntary manslaughter and DUI. Prosecutors dropped eleven other charges, four of them felonies, including homicide by vehicle while DUI, homicide by vehicle, aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI, and aggravated assault by vehicle.2Centre Daily Times. Julian Fleming Plea Deal The original nine counts had been filed on October 8, 2025, more than four months after the crash.3Centre Daily Times. Julian Fleming Charged in Fatal ATV Crash
Why the Charges Were Reduced
Bradford County District Attorney Richard Wilson pointed to a deer that ran onto the roadway as the triggering cause of the crash. “He hit a deer and that is what actually caused the crash,” Wilson told PennLive in explaining the plea.4PennLive. Ex-Penn State Wide Receiver Gets Plea Deal in DUI Crash That Killed His Girlfriend
The legal consequence of that distinction is significant. Homicide by vehicle while DUI carries a mandatory minimum of three years in state prison under Pennsylvania law.5Justia. 75 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 3735 – Homicide by Vehicle While Driving Under Influence Involuntary manslaughter as a first-degree misdemeanor carries a five-year maximum but no mandatory minimum, leaving the sentencing judge with far more discretion.6Pennsylvania Legislature. 18 Pa.C.S. § 1104 – Sentence of Imprisonment for Misdemeanors
Fleming’s attorney, David Bahuriak, called the four original felony charges “overreach” and said Fleming’s conduct “was not even a crime.” Bahuriak said his client “has been tormenting himself about this accident” and “feels nothing but remorse and grief,” and has been trying to give Boyd’s family “the space they need to process this.”4PennLive. Ex-Penn State Wide Receiver Gets Plea Deal in DUI Crash That Killed His Girlfriend No public statements from Boyd’s family have been reported.
What Happened the Night of the Crash
On the evening of May 23, 2025, Fleming was driving an all-terrain vehicle on Painter Lick Lane in Columbia Township when the ATV struck a deer that had entered the roadway. Boyd was thrown from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene; a coroner determined she died from head injuries sustained in the ejection.7PennLive. Ex-Penn State Football Player’s Girlfriend Died From Head Injuries, Coroner Says Fleming was seriously injured and hospitalized.8CBS News Pittsburgh. Julian Fleming Charges ATV Crash
Neither Fleming nor Boyd was wearing a helmet, which Pennsylvania law requires of ATV operators.9Pennsylvania DCNR. ATV Riding Rules and Enforcement Fleming admitted to state troopers that he had been drinking before the crash, and toxicology later put his blood-alcohol content at 0.118%, above Pennsylvania’s 0.08% limit.2Centre Daily Times. Julian Fleming Plea Deal
What Happens Next
Fleming, now 25, remains free on the $75,000 bond he posted when charges were filed.10NBC News. Julian Fleming, Former College Football Star, Charged With Homicide A judge will decide at the July 13, 2026 sentencing hearing whether to accept the negotiated nine-to-23-month county prison term and three years of probation. The judge is not bound to accept the agreement.1Fox 56. Former Penn State Football Player Pleads Guilty in Fatal Bradford County ATV Crash
Who Alyssa Boyd Was
Alyssa Denise Boyd, 23, was from Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Central Columbia High School in 2020, where she competed in soccer, basketball, and track. At the time of her death she was studying psychology at the University of Alabama and was expected to graduate in December 2025.11GoFundMe. Alyssa Boyd’s Memorial Fund and Scholarship A celebration of life was held on May 31, 2025, at the First Presbyterian Church in Bloomsburg.7PennLive. Ex-Penn State Football Player’s Girlfriend Died From Head Injuries, Coroner Says