Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes confirmed that the team was aware of Rueben Bain Jr.'s involvement in a fatal car crash prior to its public disclosure. Bain was cited for careless driving in the incident that occurred on March 17, 2024.
The Detroit Lions were aware of defensive end Rueben Bain Jr.'s link to a fatal car crash long before it was first reported Sunday, April 12, Lions general manager Brad Holmes said when asked about the top prospect Monday.
"Weāve known that for a while so that doesnāt really change anything from our standpoint," Holmes said in his annual predraft news conference.
According to a report from The Read Optional, Bain, one of the best players on a Miami team that reached the college football national championship game in January, was cited for careless driving for the accident that occurred at about 4 a.m. on March 17, 2024.
Rueben Bain Jr. #4 of the Miami Hurricanes pressures Tommy Castellanos #1 of the Florida State Seminoles during the fourth quarter of the game at Doak S. Campbell Stadium on October 4, 2025 in Tallahassee, Florida.
One passenger in the vehicle, Destiny Betts, spent nearly three months in a coma before she died from her injuries on June 13, 2024.
The charges against Bain were dropped prior to Betts' death, according to The Read Optional. Betts' family also said in a statement to The Read Optional they "wish Mr. Bain the best" and called Betts' death "aĀ tragic accident."
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Bain is widely considered one of the top three pass rushers in this year's draft and a potential top-10 pick after recording 9Ā½ sacks last season and 20Ā½ sacks in his three-year career.
The Lions have been looking for an every-down defensive end to pair with Aidan Hutchinson on their defensive line. They signed D.J. Wonnum in free agency, but team president Rod Wood said they "never were in the game" for the top pass rushers available in free agency or by trade this offseason and likely would have to find one in the draft.
The Lions have the 17th pick in this year's first round.
"Would we love to have another great pass rusher?" Wood told the Free Press in March. "Yeah, but weāll probably have to find him in the draft versus we go out and pay top dollar for him."
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him atdbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him onBluesky,XandInstagramat @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lions GM Brad Holmes says team knew about Rueben Bain fatal incident
Rueben Bain Jr. was involved in a fatal car crash on March 17, 2024, for which he was cited for careless driving.
The Detroit Lions were aware of Rueben Bain's incident long before it was reported on April 12, 2024.
Lions GM Brad Holmes stated that the team has known about the Rueben Bain incident for a while and that it does not change their perspective on him.
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