Brandin Echols and car accident (Photos via Getty Images and NY Post)
The New York Jets and fourth-year cornerback Brandin Echols face a lawsuit stemming from a 2022 car crash.
Following an automobile accident in April 2022, a man from New Jersey filed a lawsuit in Morris County Superior Court against the New York Jets, cornerback Brandin Echols, and the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
That day, according to authorities, Echols was traveling at 84 mph in a 50 mph zone on the Columbia Turnpike in Florham Park, New Jersey, when he collided with Stephen J. Gilberg’s BMW in just five seconds. Echols was operating a 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat at the time.
A new video of that frightening accident involving New York Jets cornerback Brandin Echols has now surfaced. It reveals the moments before and during the crash, when he lost control of his Hellcat.
New Video Emerges From Brandin Echols Crash
The NY Post was able to obtain a 10-second dashcam tape. The video shows Brandin Echols trying to pass Gilberg’s black 2018 BMW X5 on the left while driving the black 2021 Hellcat. Gilberg’s SUV is propelled over the railing when the muscle car abruptly veers to the right and collides with the driver’s side of the Beemer.
NEW: Newly surfaced video shows the moment that NY Jets cornerback loses control of his Dodge Charger Hellcat at 84 mph
Brandin Echols was charged with assault by auto charges but entered a three-year pretrial intervention program, potentially leading to charge dismissal…
pic.twitter.com/uQiayBZ3oU— Unlimited L's (@unlimited_ls) May 5, 2024
Gilberg was taken to Morristown Medical Center following the crash. He had two spinal surgeries, and amassed medical bills of nearly $1 million by March 2023, according to his claim.
The New Jersey Herald‘s Lori Comstock reported that Echols was accused of fourth-degree assault by a vehicle by Florham Park police. Furthermore, he “was issued motor vehicle summonses for reckless driving, speeding, unsafe lane change, improper passing, and failure to wear a seatbelt after the accident.”
Brandin Echols was admitted into a three-year pretrial intervention (PTI) program during a hearing in February 2023. When he finishes the program, the charges will be dropped. He also has to make “restitution” payments to Gilbert of $1,200 per month until that amount reaches $54,460.
The injured New Jersey man has said the crash and injuries will “forever haunt me.”
The crash left him with broken ribs and “no feeling or movement in both hands and his right leg that required spinal surgery,” according to police reports.
Brandin Echols’ Decision Forever Changed The Life Of Crash Victim
Brandin Echols (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
Stephen Gilberg was permanently injured in the April 26, 2022, crash involving New York Jets cornerback Brandin Echols.
“While I’ve made certain strides physically, such as learning to walk again, albeit not in the same way I used to, it’s the nerve damage and the pain you don’t see,” Gilberg said during a February 2023 court hearing. “The physical things I will never be able to do and the psychological trauma I am living with every single day that will continue to impact the rest of my life.”
He and his spouse are bringing legal action against Echols, the Jets, the New Jersey Department of Transportation, and others. They are claiming negligent driving and car assault. According to the lawsuit, there was “negligent design and installation of curbs and guardrails” by the DOT.
The suit seeks unspecified damages.
