Raheem Sterling Charged with Dangerous Driving and Nitrous Oxide Possession
Raheem Sterling has been charged with dangerous driving and possession of nitrous oxide after a motorway crash involving a Lamborghini, Hampshire and Isle of Wight police have confirmed.
The former England forward, 31, faces three allegations stemming from a single-vehicle collision on the M3 southbound near the Minley interchange on 28 May. Officers said no other cars were involved and no injuries were reported.
Sterling, from Berkshire, is accused of dangerous driving, possession of nitrous oxide for wrongful inhalation and failing to provide a specimen. He is due to appear at Basingstoke magistrates court on 15 September.
It marks a stark turn in the story of a player who became one of the defining figures of Gareth Southgate’s England. Sterling scored 20 goals in 82 appearances for his country, a key part of the side that reached the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and the Euro 2020 final, where his direct running and big-game temperament often set the tone.
His club journey has been equally high profile. Raised in the academy at QPR, he broke through at Liverpool before making a high‑stakes move to Manchester City in 2015. In seven seasons under Manuel Pellegrini and then Pep Guardiola, Sterling collected four Premier League titles, five League Cups and an FA Cup, evolving into one of the most productive wide forwards in the division.
The next chapters have been more turbulent. He left City for Chelsea in 2022 but gradually slipped down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge, then spent the 2024–25 season on loan at Arsenal. After that spell, he moved to Feyenoord on a short-term deal until the end of last season. He is currently without a club.
Off the pitch, Sterling has been a prominent voice on racial equality and discrimination in football. His campaigning and outspoken stance against racism were recognised in the 2021 Queen’s birthday honours, when he was made an MBE for services to racial equality in sport.
Now, instead of preparing for a new season or another move, he is preparing for a court date in September that will shape the next phase of a career already packed with sharp turns.
