What happened to Alyssa Boyd? Penn State football star Julian Fleming charged in girlfriend’s fatal crash

American football wide receiver Julian Fleming has been charged in connection with the death of his girlfriend, Alyssa Boyd, 23, who was killed in an ATV accident earlier this year. On October 8, the former Ohio State Buckeyes star faced multiple felony counts, including homicide by vehicle and aggravated assault by vehicle, at a Bradford County court in Pennsylvania, where he was also arraigned.

According to the New York Post, Fleming, 24, was driving an ATV on Painter Lick Lane in Columbia Township in rural Pennsylvania, near the New York border, around 8 pm local time on May 23, 2025, with Boyd in the passenger seat. However, while heading north, he hit a deer, which caused her fatal injuries.

Julian Fleming, although wounded in the crash, later survived after receiving treatment at the local Guthrie Roy Community Hospital. Alyssa Boyd was declared dead at the scene. According to PennLive, Julian Fleming was released on a $75,000 bond on Wednesday.

Exploring the circumstances surrounding Alyssa Boyd’s death amid Julian Fleming's charges

According to the court papers obtained by the New York Post, Julian Fleming’s blood-alcohol level was .118, which is significantly higher than the .08 legal limit in Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, the ex-Penn State Nittany Lions star told the State Police that he had consumed five to six beers before the collision that led to his girlfriend Alyssa Boyd’s death.

According to the police affidavit, Fleming told someone at the crash scene that he had been drinking. Officials also revealed that neither he nor Boyd was wearing safety gear during the incident. Julian Fleming’s lawyer, David Bahurial, told The Athletic that there was “no crime.” He also offered his condolences to Alyssa’s family, citing:

“Our hearts go out to the family of the young woman.”

Bahuriak also told TMZ that his client had “lost the love of his life,” adding that the prosecution did nothing to “advance the interests of anyone.”

“In my view, the prosecution here took a tragic and unavoidable accident and turned it into a crime when the facts don’t support that. The facts don’t support criminal homicide,” Fleming’s attorney added.

According to Alyssa Boyd’s obituary on hellerfuneralhomellc.com, she was a native of Bloomsburg, PA. She was born in February 2002 to David L. Jr. and Lorie A. (Yeager) Boyd. Boyd graduated from Central Columbia High School and was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of Alabama at the time of her death. She was expected to graduate in December 2025.

Alyssa was also a talented artist and standout athlete who played soccer, basketball, golf, and was a track runner and hurdler. She was a member of Gamma Phi Beta Sorority. Julian Fleming’s late girlfriend is survived by her parents, brother Zachary Boyd, paternal grandparents, and her numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins. A GoFundMe dedicated to a memorial fund and scholarship in Boyd’s name was also launched.

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As for Fleming, he played four seasons of college football for Ohio State, starting in 2020, with seven touchdowns in 38 games. Later, the Pennsylvania native participated in five seasons and 16 games for Penn State in 2024, recording one touchdown and 14 catches.

Julian was signed by the NFL team, the Green Bay Packers, as an undrafted free agent this year. However, he was later released after failing a physical due to hip and back injuries, according to the NY Post reports.

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