Former Seattle Seahawks fullback Derrick Coleman has been charged with vehicular assault and felony hit-and-run stemming from a collision in Bellevue, Washington, last October.
Coleman is scheduled for arraignment on June 16. If convicted of both charges, he could face a sentence of 12 to 14 months in jail.
A truck driven by Coleman allegedly hit a vehicle driven by a 57-year-old man. The victim suffered a fractured collarbone when his car flipped upside down.
Police say Coleman admitted to smoking "spice," or synthetic cannabinoids. He performed field sobriety tests that showed signs consistent with his being impaired, according to police. Blood was drawn several hours after the collision, and tests did not show the drugs he admitted consuming.
In searching Coleman's vehicle, police found a lighter, a glass spoon pipe with tarry residue, an opened bag of synthetic cannabinoid labeled "F'd up" and three unopened bags of synthetic cannabinoid labeled "Mad Pitbulls."
Police determined that Coleman's driving was "rash and heedless, indifferent to the consequences, and that he was impaired by the drug he had smoked."
Synthetic marijuana is not actually marijuana, but typically consists of designer drugs -- sometimes similar to amphetamines -- sprayed onto plant matter, then smoked.
The Seahawks suspended Coleman indefinitely before bringing him back the week after the accident. He appeared in 31 games over four seasons with the team.
Coleman's contract with the team expired after last season, and he has not signed elsewhere.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.