Former Lions CB Alex Brown Charged in Crash That Injured TE Charlie Taumoepeau

Former Detroit Lions cornerback Alex Brown is being charged with two counts of reckless driving causing serious injury and two counts of operating while under the influence causing serious injury following a car crash early Sunday morning that injured teammate Charlie Taumoepeau, per Justin Rogers of the Detroit News. 

Brown was released by the team later on Sunday. 

Taumoepeau, meanwhile, was waived with a non-football injury designation, though once he clears waivers will revert to the reserve/non-football injury list. 

Brown was reportedly intoxicated on Sunday morning and began driving on the wrong side of southbound Interstate 75, according to the office of prosecutor Kym Worthy. Brown's vehicle then struck another car head on, with that driver transported to a local hospital. 

Taumoepeau had to be freed from the car by the jaws of life machine and was also taken to the hospital with a neck injury. His agent Cleo Floyd told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press that he likely suffered broken ribs.

"All signs point to him being OK," he added. "It's not serious, it's not critical, but he was injured."

Brown, 24, was an undrafted free agent in 2019. He was signed and waived by three teams (San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets) before sticking in Kansas City, appearing in three games for the Chiefs.

He missed the entirety of the 2020 season after tearing his ACL last August. He signed with the Lions in May. 

Taumoepeau, 23, was an undrafted free agent in 2020 who first signed with the Dallas Cowboys, before spending time on the practice squads for the Indianapolis Colts and Niners. He signed with Detroit in May as well.