Tide Lineman Elijah Pritchett Arrested for Speeding Around Tuscaloosa Strip

Police in Tuscaloosa arrested Alabama football offensive lineman Elijah Pritchett this weekend for speeding around the Strip Friday night, according to new court documents filed Monday.

In a deposition, investigators said officers with the University of Alabama Police Department were on the Strip just off the UA Campus around 9:30 p.m. Friday when they observed a black Dodge Charger with no tag driving erratically in front of a store near the corner of University Boulevard and Campus Drive.

Pritchett was reportedly driving.

Three UAPD officers began to approach the car on foot, but the Charger reportedly changed lanes and sped off south on Frank Thomas Avenue.

Get our free mobile app

"Officers could hear the vehicle accelerating quickly and the sound of tires squealing as the vehicle drove around on Frank Thomas," they said in the deposition.

Two UAPD officers got into a patrol vehicle to search for the Charger, and soon after a sergeant watching the crowd gathered on the Strip reportedly witnessed the muscle car "driving at a high rate of speed across the intersection of Frank Thomas Avenue and 6th Street."

"During the time of the driving action of Pritchett, there were numerous people on foot in the area of the Strip and all the businesses in the area."

Officers caught up with the Charger and pulled the vehicle over at the Walk of Champions in front of Bryant-Denny Stadium.

They reportedly found Elijah Pritchett, a 20-year-old offensive lineman for the Crimson Tide, behind the wheel.

Ptichett was arrested and charged with "Exhibition of Speed," a misdemeanor violation of the Alabama Code that outlaws street racing, exhibitions of speed, doing donuts and other reckless driving maneuvers.

If convicted of the relatively tame charge, Pritchett could be sentenced to up to three months in jail, ordered to pay a fine of up to $500 and a court could prohibit Pritchett from driving in Alabama for a period up to six months.

Pritchett was briefly booked in the Tuscaloosa County Jail before being released on a $300 bond.

As the Thread first reported, Pritchett was also charged in December with knowingly passing on a sexually transmitted disease, although he was deemed a youthful offender and records in that case have been sealed. The misdemeanor charge could ultimately be reduced or dismissed through the youthful offender program.

As Tide 100.9 Brand Manager Wyatt Fulton summarized then, Pritchett, a former composite four-star from Columbus, Georgia, was in the offensive line rotation during the Crimson Tide's 2023 season. He was in and out of the lineup with true freshman Kadyn Proctor competing for the left tackle position.

Pritchett appeared in Alabama's lineup in all 13 regular-season games both on offense and special teams. He had placed his name in the transfer portal on December 15 but removed his name on December 16, saying "transferring is not in my best interest."

While the 6-foot-6, 312-pound tackle played in every game for Alabama this season, his minutes were limited. He is in a position to compete for a starting job for the season ahead.