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 charges stemming from a single-vehicle collision on the M3 southbound near the Minley interchange on 28 May. Officers say 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.

Career Overview

The case marks a stark turn in the story of a player who became one of the defining figures of England’s modern era. Sterling scored 20 goals in 82 appearances for his country, a central part of Gareth Southgate’s side that reached the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and the final of Euro 2020.

His club career took off after emerging from QPR’s academy and earning a move to Liverpool, where he made his senior breakthrough. In 2015, Manchester City signed him in a major deal, and he went on to collect four Premier League titles, five League Cups and an FA Cup under Pep Guardiola.

The trajectory shifted after his 2022 move to Chelsea. As his influence at Stamford Bridge faded, he spent the 2024–25 season on loan at Arsenal. A short-term switch to Feyenoord followed, taking him to the end of last season in the Eredivisie. He is currently without a club.

Off the Pitch

Sterling’s profile has long extended beyond the pitch. In the 2021 Queen’s birthday honours he was made an MBE for services to racial equality in sport, recognised for fronting anti-racism and anti-discrimination campaigns and for speaking out forcefully against abuse in football and wider society.

Now, instead of a new contract or another international milestone, his next date is in a magistrates court.