CHAMPAIGN - University of Illinois basketball player Jamar Smith will spend two weeks in jail under terms of a plea agreement reconciled Thursday.
Smith pleaded guilty to felony driving under the influence of alcohol for his role in a car wreck on Feb. 12 that seriously injured his teammate, Brian Carlwell. A second charge of leaving the scene of a personal injury accident was dismissed.
In addition to the 14-day sentence to be served at the Champaign County jail, Smith will serve two years of probation, pay an $850 fine, perform 100 hours of public service, attend a victim impact panel and complete at least 75 hours of substance-abuse treatment.
Smith was taken into custody immediately after his court appearance Thursday afternoon.
Smith, who had no prior criminal record, must still go through internal reviews before he can be cleared to play for coach Bruce Weber's Illini basketball team.
"I just learned of Jamar's plea bargain," Weber said in a release provided by the university Thursday afternoon. "We will need time to examine the facts and work with (athletic director) Ron Guenther and the university administration to bring closure to this situation. I will have no further comment to make regarding this situation at this time."
Smith, who also released a statement through the university, said he hopes this incident makes him a better person.
"I take full responsibility for what occurred on the night of Feb. 12, and I am deeply remorseful for everything that happened," Smith said. "I sincerely apologize for my actions, and for the negative light that I have brought to my family, friends, the university and the basketball program.
"What I did not only put myself in harm's way, but I also put a teammate and anyone else that was on the road that night in danger. I have thought long and hard about the poor choices I made that night. I can't go back in time and make it go away, but I can do something about it from this point on, and that is why I will do everything in my power to make sure nothing like this happens again."
Posted in Sports on Friday, May 25, 2007 12:00 am Updated: 2:09 pm.
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