Former England football star Raheem Sterling has been charged with dangerous driving and two other offences following a Lamborghini crash on the M3 earlier this year.
The 31-year-old is facing charges of dangerous driving, possession of nitrous oxide for wrongful inhalation and failing to provide a specimen following the May 28 incident.
Sterling is expected to appear before Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court on September 15.
The charges stem from a single-vehicle collision involving a Lamborghini on the M3 southbound near the Minley Interchange in Hampshire.
Police said no other vehicles were involved in the crash and no injuries were reported.
Motorists had reportedly contacted emergency services shortly before the collision after seeing a black luxury vehicle being driven erratically on the motorway before 9am.
Sterling was subsequently arrested near an interchange close to Farnborough and later released on bail while police continued their investigation.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary confirmed that the former Manchester City and Chelsea winger had now been formally charged.
The case means Sterling will have to answer the allegations in court, with dangerous driving carrying potentially serious consequences if a defendant is eventually convicted.
It is important, however, that the charges remain allegations at this stage. Sterling has not been convicted of any of the offences and the case will now be determined through the court process.
Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, became a Class C controlled drug in the United Kingdom in November 2023.
Possession with the intention of using it for its psychoactive effects can therefore amount to a criminal offence, although there remain legitimate uses for the substance in medical, catering and industrial settings.
Legal trouble comes at uncertain stage of Raheem Sterling‘s career
The court case arrives during an unusually unsettled period for a player who was once one of the most prominent names in English football.
Sterling made his breakthrough at Liverpool after joining the club from Queens Park Rangers as a teenager.
He later moved to Manchester City in 2015, where he enjoyed the most successful spell of his career.
During his years at the Etihad Stadium, Sterling became an important part of a dominant City side and won four Premier League titles, an FA Cup and five League Cups.
His performances also established him as a major figure for England, earning 82 international appearances.
Sterling left Manchester City for Chelsea in a £50 million transfer in 2022, but his time at Stamford Bridge failed to produce the same level of success.
He later spent a season on loan at Arsenal before leaving Chelsea and subsequently joining Dutch side Feyenoord.
That spell also came to an end, leaving the experienced winger without a club.
The contrast is difficult to ignore. Sterling has gone from competing for major trophies and being a regular England international to facing uncertainty over both his footballing future and a criminal case away from the pitch.
That does not determine the outcome of the allegations against him, but it makes the September court appearance particularly significant.
For Sterling, the next few weeks are therefore likely to be about more than finding another football club.
The legal process arising from the May motorway incident must first run its course, beginning with his scheduled appearance at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court on September 15.
