Former England forward Raheem Sterling charged with dangerous driving over motorway crash

Former England international Raheem Sterling has been charged with dangerous driving in connection with a motorway accident earlier this year, police in southern England said on Wednesday. The 31-year-old footballer also faces two further allegations — possessing nitrous oxide for wrongful inhalation and failing to provide a specimen — according to Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, which confirmed the development in a statement issued to the Reuters news agency.

The charges relate to an incident in May in which a Lamborghini driven by the Berkshire-based player collided with barriers along the M3. Officials said the crash involved no other vehicles and that nobody was hurt, describing it as a single-car collision on one of the region's busiest routes.

In its statement, the force set out the accusations against the footballer, listing dangerous driving, possession of nitrous oxide for wrongful inhalation and failure to provide a specimen. Each of the three matters will now form part of the case placed before the courts next month.

Sterling is scheduled to appear at a magistrates' court on September 15 for a first hearing. Such initial appearances are typically used to confirm the identity of the defendant, put the allegations to them formally and determine how proceedings will advance, including whether any element of the case must be dealt with by a higher court.

Nitrous oxide, often known as laughing gas, has come under tightening legal restrictions in the United Kingdom in recent years. Under current rules, being found in possession of the substance for the purpose of wrongfully inhaling it constitutes a criminal offence, distinct from its lawful applications in settings such as catering and medicine.

The third allegation, failing to provide a specimen, concerns a driver's legal obligation to supply a breath or other sample when properly required to do so by officers investigating suspected motoring offences.

On the pitch, Sterling's most recent club was Feyenoord in the Netherlands. He signed a short-term contract with the Rotterdam outfit in February after reaching a mutual agreement with Chelsea to part ways, bringing an end to a difficult chapter at the west London club.

Since last season concluded, however, the former England winger has remained without a club. As the new campaign gets underway, he finds himself a free agent, and the criminal proceedings now add a significant off-field complication at an uncertain point in his playing career.

Wednesday's announcement arrived roughly three months after the collision itself, indicating that officers spent the intervening months examining the circumstances surrounding the crash before concluding that charges were warranted.

Dangerous driving ranks among the more serious road traffic offences in England and Wales. Depending on how a case progresses, potential consequences upon conviction can range from penalty points and a lengthy driving ban to imprisonment in the gravest instances. All of the allegations against Sterling remain unproven at this stage, and no conviction has been recorded.

All three charges are expected to be formally put to the footballer when he appears before magistrates on September 15. Given his prominence in the English game, the hearing is likely to draw considerable public and media attention as the legal process begins.