Report: Former Penn State, Ohio State WR Julian Fleming criminally charged in fatal ATV crash

Former Penn State and Ohio State WR Julian Fleming was criminally charged for a fatal ATV crash stemming from May, according to TMZ Sports. He’s slated to appear before a judge on Wednesday for several charges, including one count of driving under the influence and one count of aggravated assault by vehicle.

UPDATE: Fleming’s attorney spoke to TMZ Sports and another charge he is facing is “homicide by vehicle. The attorney, David Bahuriak, said he “is convinced the prosecution’s filing is ‘wrong,'” per the report.

“In my view, the prosecution here took a tragic and unavoidable accident and turned it into a crime when the facts don’t support that,” Bahuriak said to TMZ. “The facts don’t support criminal homicide.” He added that Fleming “lost the love of his life,” and “this prosecution does nothing to advance the interests of anyone.”

The ATV wreck occurred in May where Fleming, 24, was driving on a rural road when a deer jumped out in front of him, causing a collision. The impact of the crash sent Fleming and his girlfriend Alyssa Boyd, 23, flying. Boyd was later pronounced dead at the scene and police said neither Fleming nor Boyd were wearing safety equipment in the four-wheeler.

Fleming dealt with serious injuries at the time and was transported to a local hospital. After going undrafted in 2025, Fleming was expected to sign with the Green Bay Packers in April, prior to the accident. However, he failed his physical and remained a free agent.

During his lone season at Penn State in 2024, Fleming logged just 14 catches for 176 yards and one touchdown. He started four games out of Penn State’s 16.

He spent four total seasons at Ohio State prior to his transfer for his final season. Fleming set career highs in 2022 for the Buckeyes, catching 34 passes for 534 yards, six touchdowns and 15.7 yards per catch. He finished his collegiate career with 93 catches for 1,139 yards, eight touchdowns and 12.2 yards per catch.

As a member of the Class of 2020, Fleming was a five-star recruit out of Catawissa (Pa.) Southern Columbia Area, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking. He was the No. 1 overall prospect in the state, the No. 1 wide receiver in the class and the No. 3 overall prospect in the class.

Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin spoke about the addition of Fleming and what he could bring to the Nittany Lions during 2024 Big Ten Media Days last July.

“(Julian) is thriving. He’s very comfortable, he’s very confident. He really came, got on campus. Like most guys should do, kept his mouth shut, worked, earned everybody’s respect and now is really developing into a leader for us,” Franklin said of Fleming at the time. “We’re happy to have him and expect for him to do big things for us this year.”