Aston Villa skipper Jack Grealish charged by police after allegedly fleeing scene of lockdown car smash

Manchester United summer target Jack Grealish has found himself in legal hot water after being charged by police for allegedly being involved in a collision with two parked cars during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Grealish, 24, appeared to disregard the United Kingdom's lockdown laws in March after being pictured exiting an apartment just feet from the scene of an accident in which two unoccupied parked cars had been damaged. 

Aston Villa's creative talisman apologized for attending the gathering, which was hosted by former teammate Ross McCormack, and spoke of his embarrassment following the incident.

Now Grealish finds himself in more hot water after it emerged on Thursday that Villa's club captain had been charged by West Midlands Police for his alleged role in the car accident. 

"A Premier League footballer has been charged with driving without due care and attention, and failing to stop at or report a collision," a statement from the police announced.

"Jack Grealish is accused of the offenses in Waterside, Dickens Heath, Solihull, on Sunday 29 March. An investigation was launched after we responded to reports of a car hitting parked vehicles and the driver fleeing on foot.

"The 24-year-old from Barnt Green, Worcestershire, has been postal charged to appear before Birmingham Magistrates Court on 25 August."

Grealish, who is understood to be on Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solksjaer's summer shopping list, told the UK media of his regret at breaking the lockdown restrictions.

"I knew straight away that I had to come out and apologize myself, which I wanted to do; I didn’t want to hide behind a club statement," Grealish said.

"I am old enough now and mature enough to know that I’d done wrong. I know I am a footballer but I’m still human and we all make mistakes and straight away I knew I’d made a mistake.

"I’m also a role model as well to a lot of people out there, especially young children who might look up to me. So I try to act in a respectable manner but since then I have tried to keep my head down, work hard and do as much charitable work as possible."

Neither Grealish, nor the club he captains, have commented on the charges at the time of writing.