Yahoo Sports 
Ex-Patriots LB Brandon Spikes pleads guilty to leaving scene of accident
Former New England Patriots linebacker Brandon Spikes will avoid jail time after pleading guilty to his role in a June hit-and-run crash.
According to the Boston Globe, Spikes entered his guilty plea on Wednesday in Wrentham (Mass.) District Court and was sentenced to a year of probation.
Spikes admitted to leaving the scene after he crashed his Mercedes on Interstate 495 in Foxborough in the early morning hours of June 7. Police found the car crashed and abandoned around 3:20 a.m. and determined that Spikes had rear-ended an SUV, causing minor injuries to the vehicle’s three occupants – a man, a woman and their 12-year-old son.
[Yahoo Sports Fantasy Football is back: Sign up for a league today!]
After the accident, the on-board assistance service in Spikes’ car contacted him when it detected a collision. Police said Spikes told the operator that he hit a deer; police found no evidence of a deer nearby or on the vehicle.
In addition to his year of probation, Spikes was fined for speeding and marked lane violations. His other charges – negligent operation and operating an uninsured vehicle – were “continued without a finding” for one year, meaning he could avoid penalties from those charges if he avoids trouble for a year.
After signing Spikes to a one-year deal on May 18, the Patriots released him a day after the incident. Spikes spent the first four seasons of his career with New England before playing the 2014 campaign with the Buffalo Bills.
- - - - - - -
Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
