Former Penn State football player Julian Fleming pleads guilty after fatal crash
A former Penn State football player pleaded guilty Thursday to involuntary manslaughter and DUI in connection with an all-terrain vehicle crash that killed his girlfriend last year.
Julian Crushshon-Fleming, 25, of Northumberland County, pleaded guilty to the pair of misdemeanors in exchange for Bradford County prosecutors dropping 11 charges, defense attorney David S. Bahuriak Jr. told the Centre Daily Times.
Fleming was facing four felonies, including counts of vehicular homicide while DUI and aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI.
If the plea deal is accepted by Bradford County President Judge Maureen T. Beirne, Fleming would be sentenced to nine to 23 months in the Bradford County Correctional Facility and three years of probation. He’s scheduled to be sentenced July 13, Bahuriak said.
Fleming, who posted $75,000 bail after his October arrest, remains free. Bahuriak said Fleming is remorseful and has been in counseling.
“He’s doing the best he can to process this and take accountability,” Bahuriak said. “It’s an unfortunate situation all around.”
Alyssa D. Boyd, 23, of Columbia County, died in May 2025. Fleming was driving a 2024 Yamaha ATV — about 30-40 mph, one witness said — when he collided with a deer that jumped in front of them on Painter Lick Lane in Columbia Township, state police at Towanda wrote in an affidavit of probable cause.
Both were thrown from the ATV and neither was wearing a helmet, police said. Fleming was unconscious and later transported to a hospital with serious injuries, while Boyd was pronounced dead at the scene.
Fleming told troopers he was drinking before the crash. Troopers said his blood alcohol level was 0.118%, over the legal limit of 0.08%.
A former five-star recruit, the wide receiver started his collegiate career at Ohio State before finishing his career at Penn State. He played in 54 games, collecting 93 receptions for 1,139 yards and eight touchdowns. In his lone season with the Nittany Lions, he hauled in 14 passes for 176 yards and a score.
He signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent after the 2024 season, but failed his physical and did not join the team.
According to her obituary, Boyd was working toward a bachelor’s degree in psychology at Alabama and expected to graduate in December. She played soccer, basketball and track.
Boyd was also remembered as a talented artist, outgoing and someone who enjoyed socializing.
“She could light up any room with her amazing and beautiful energy,” according to her obituary.
She was survived by her parents and a brother. A page on the fundraising site GoFundMe raised nearly $86,000, which went to either the Boyd family or toward the creation of a memorial scholarship in her name.