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 constabulary has confirmed.

Police said the charges stem from a single-vehicle collision on the southbound M3 near the Minley interchange on 28 May. No other cars were involved and no injuries were reported.

Sterling, 31, 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.

The forward, currently without a club, has lived much of his adult life under the brightest of spotlights. For England, he scored 20 goals in 82 appearances and became one of Gareth Southgate’s key figures, central to the run to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and the Euro 2020 final.

His rise began at QPR’s academy before Liverpool handed him a senior debut and a platform to accelerate his career. Manchester City then made him a cornerstone of their attack after signing him in 2015, and he collected a haul of domestic honours: four Premier League titles, five League Cups and the FA Cup.

Sterling left City for Chelsea in 2022, but his influence faded at Stamford Bridge. He spent the 2024-25 season on loan at Arsenal, then moved to Feyenoord on a short-term deal until the end of last season. He has been unattached since leaving the Dutch club.

Off the pitch, Sterling has been a prominent voice against racism and discrimination. In the 2021 Queen’s birthday honours, he was made an MBE for services to racial equality in sport, recognition of his willingness to confront abuse and use his platform to challenge it.

Now, instead of shaping another chapter on the pitch, he will next face questions in a magistrates court.