Former England footballer Raheem Sterling has been charged with dangerous driving following a Lamborghini crash on the M3 motorway in southern England.

The thirty-one-year-old also faces charges of possessing nitrous oxide for wrongful inhalation and failing to provide a specimen, police announced on August 26.

The charges arise from a single-vehicle collision on the southbound M3 near the Minley Interchange on May 28. Police received reports shortly before 9 a.m. that a Lamborghini had struck motorway barriers.

No other vehicles were involved, and no injuries were reported.

Sterling, who lives in Berkshire, is due to make his first appearance at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court on September 15. He has not entered a plea, and the charges remain allegations unless proven in court.

The precise circumstances behind the three charges have not been publicly detailed.

The charging statement does not describe the alleged driving, identify the type of specimen requested or explain why it was not supplied.

Although Sterling was initially arrested on suspicion of driving while unfit through drugs, that offence does not appear in the subsequently announced charge list.

The specimen-refusal allegation does not by itself establish that alcohol or drugs were detected in his body.

Dangerous driving is the most serious of the three charges.

Under sentencing rules in England and Wales, the offence can be tried in either a magistrates’ court or the Crown Court.

A conviction can carry up to two years in custody, an unlimited fine and obligatory disqualification for at least one year, followed by an extended driving test.

Two years is the statutory maximum, however, not a prediction of the sentence Sterling would receive if convicted.

The eventual penalty would depend on the evidence, the level of danger, any harm caused, his plea and other aggravating or mitigating factors.

Nitrous oxide, commonly called laughing gas, became a Class C controlled drug in November 2023 when possessed with the intention of wrongful inhalation for a psychoactive effect.

Legitimate possession for medical, catering, industrial and other recognised purposes remains lawful.

Serious or repeat unlawful-possession cases can result in imprisonment, while lesser cases may attract a fine, community punishment or caution.

The possession charge does not itself prove that Sterling inhaled the substance or drove under its influence.

Prosecutors must establish the specific elements of each alleged offence, while Sterling is entitled to challenge the evidence and remains presumed innocent.

Sterling has made eighty-two appearances for England and scored twenty international goals.

His club career has included Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and a loan spell at Arsenal.

He won four Premier League titles during seven seasons with Manchester City before moving to Chelsea in 2022.

He left Chelsea by mutual agreement in January 2026 and joined Feyenoord on a short-term contract covering the remainder of the 2025–26 season.

That agreement has since expired, leaving him without a club.

His scheduled September 15 appearance will begin the court process and determine how the three charges proceed.