Overview
- The charges follow a single-vehicle collision on the M3 southbound near the Minley Interchange on 28 May, in which Sterling’s Lamborghini hit the crash barrier and no one was injured.
- Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary arrested Sterling at the scene on suspicion of drug-driving, later released him on bail, and formally charged him in late August.
- Dashcam footage and multiple witness statements published by media showed the car veering across lanes and the driver appearing to inhale from a balloon before the crash.
- Nitrous oxide was reclassified as a Class C drug in November 2023, so the possession and wrongful inhalation charge carries criminal penalties and dangerous driving can carry up to two years in prison.
- The case adds to Sterling’s professional uncertainty after leaving Feyenoord and being a free agent, and sources close to him say he has faced significant psychological strain in recent years.