Belgian player Jonathan Legear crashes car at high speed into convenience store, injuring 1 person

BRUSSELS – Belgian player Jonathan Legear will face court and be banned from driving for at least two weeks after driving his sports car at high speed into a gas station convenience store, injuring one customer.

Security video taken early Sunday shows Legear’s Porsche crashed through the glass doors of the store in the eastern town of Tongeren, rammed through several stalls of food and drinks before stopping at the cash register and forcing customer Jeffrey Dewallef to jump to avoid the car.

Court spokesman Michel Zegers said Monday that the midfielder, who plays for Russian club Terek Grozny and made two appearances for Belgium in 2010, would be charged with involuntary assault and, possibly, intoxication.

Zegers says there is no reason to prevent Legear from rejoining Grozny “as long as he does not drive there himself.”

Through his lawyer, Legear said he apologizes to all who “have been directly or indirectly affected by what happened.”

“I will accept the consequences of the accident according to the law,” his statement said. He denied he was severely drunk, as some media claimed.

The owner of the store said there initially appears to be about €250,000 in damages. Add that to a badly smashed luxury Porsche and it was an expensive night out for the 25-year-old Legear, who moved from Anderlecht to Grozny last year.

Zegers said there are many imponderables still to be taken into account but that Legear in theory could spend time in jail.

The security video showed Legear’s Porsche driving at high speed past the pumps, smashing a scooter before crashing through the glass doors.

Inside, most customers were able to jump away but Dewallef was paying at the register and had the car coming at speed toward him.

“Injuries are mostly scrapes but I also have a badly twisted ankle,” Dewallef told a local television station.