J.R. Smith pleads not guilty to reckless driving, excessive speeding charges

Prior to the Cavaliers’ Oct. 12 preseason game against the Magic, J.R. Smith was cited for reckless driving in Bay Village, Ohio.

According to the police report, police stopped Smith;s 2016 Dodge Avenger around 1:20 a.m. At the time, Smith was driving West speeding west on Lake Road, between Oakmoor Avenue and Glen Park Drive. The report does not say how fast Smith driving at the time.

Ultimately, Smith was pulled over and pulled into the driveway of a neighbor. He took field sobriety tests, but the results were not clear, meaning it’s unclear if Smith was driving impaired at the time. A family member ultimately drove Smith’s car home.

On Friday. Smith pleased non guilty through his attorney to a charge of willful or wanton disregard of safety. The charge was filed in Rocky River Municipal Court.

In 2009, when Smith played for the Nuggets, he was sentenced to 90 days in jail after pleading guilty to reckless driving after a 2007 car crash resulted in the death of his friend. Smith served 24 days of the sentence, as 60 were suspended. He also did 500 hours of community service as part of the sentence. He was suspended for seven games during the 2007-08 season as a result.