Julian Fleming Accident Case: What We Know About the Charges and the Tragic Crash
Julian's lawyer says the incident was "unavoidable" and “a sad and tragic accident, nothing more, nothing less.”
Published Oct. 9 2025, 1:07 p.m. ET
Former Ohio State and Penn State wide receiver Julian Fleming went from chasing touchdowns to facing a courtroom after a devastating ATV crash in May 2025 that claimed the life of his girlfriend, Alyssa Boyd.
What began as a quiet weekend near the Pennsylvania-New York border turned into a tragedy that’s still unraveling. Court records, police reports, and public statements all piece together a horrific tragedy: a late-night crash, a life lost, and a former college football star now fighting for his own.
Months after the crash, sports fans who’ve followed the headlines are asking what’s really happening with the Julian Fleming accident charges as the case heads to court. Here's what we know so far.
Julian Flemming and His Girlfriend Alyssa Boyd
Fleming's charges after the accident include homicide by vehicle, DUI, and aggravated assault.
According to NBC4, Fleming has felony charges of homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, homicide by vehicle, aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence, and aggravated assault by vehicle. He is also charged with a misdemeanor of driving under the influence. Additional charges may be coming as the case unfolds.
The crash happened along a rural road in Sylvania, Pennsylvania, when a deer suddenly darted into the roadway. Fleming was driving a Yamaha quad with Boyd riding on the back when it collided.
PennLive reported that neither was wearing a helmet, and the impact left Boyd with fatal injuries that included a skull fracture, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Fleming was knocked unconscious.
According to the arrest affidavit, Fleming told state troopers he had consumed about "five or six beers before the crash." He also mentioned to a passerby who stopped to help that he had been drinking.
Police later confirmed that a blood test showed Fleming’s blood alcohol level was 0.118, well above Pennsylvania’s legal driving limit of 0.08.
At the time of this writing, he is being held in a county jail with a designation of unable to post bail, set at $75,000.
His lawyer says the crash was a tragedy, not a crime.
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, Fleming’s attorney David Bahuriak didn’t hold back. He called the charges “harsh” and “not supported by the facts,” arguing that the incident was "unavoidable" and “a sad and tragic accident, nothing more, nothing less.”
Bahuriak insisted that alcohol wasn’t the cause, saying, “They have evidence in this case that his ATV struck a deer that ran into the roadway. Alcohol’s got nothing to do with this accident.”
He added that Fleming has already “felt an indescribable amount of pain and loss” and said it’s unfair to turn the tragedy into a criminal case.
Photos of Boyd and Fleming from late 2024 showed the couple smiling and spending time outdoors. Friends wrote that they had recently gone “Instagram official” and seemed happy together. The tragedy left both families heartbroken.
What's next with Fleming's case?
The case is still in its early stages. The next hearing on October 22, 2025 will determine whether the felony charges move forward to trial. Investigators are continuing to review evidence from the scene and vehicle data collected after the crash; depending on what they find, things could change dramatically.
There’s no easy way to talk about this story involving a young woman gone too soon and a man whose life may never be the same. For some, it’s a cautionary tale about choices and consequences. For others, it’s a freak accident that could have happened to anyone.
Whatever happens next, this case is a painful reminder that life can change in an instant and sometimes we are left with only loss, grief, and the long road of what comes after.