UFC’s Jon Jones Faces Felony Hit-And-Run Charges

On Sunday, UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones was allegedly involved in a hit-and-run incident in New Mexico. The champion reportedly ran a light with his rented SUV, hitting one car, which resulted in a third vehicle being struck in the process.

Directly afterwards, a man matching Jones’ description vacated the car on foot, before coming back to retrieve cash, according to the police report published by MMA Junkie. Following this, the suspect left the scene of the accident and did not return. When the police searched the car, they found a pipe with marijuana loaded into it.

Following the incident, a warrant was issued for his arrest. Jones complied and turned himself in, but was quickly released later on bail.

Jones is currently facing a felony charge because the 25-year-old pregnant victim, Vanessa Sonnenberg, received a broken arm from the crash. This elevates the crime from a misdemeanor to a felony, according to New Mexico state law.

Jones was set to defend his title against Anthony Johnson at UFC 187 on May 23.

“We are aware that the Albuquerque Police Department is interested in speaking to Jon Jones regarding his possible involvement in a motor vehicle accident,” the UFC stated in a press release. “We are in the process of gathering facts and will reserve further comment until more information is available.”

As of this moment, Jones has not been removed from UFC 187’s title bout.

Jones has been under public scrutiny for quite some time. He has previously gotten into trouble for a DUI in 2012, where he crashed his Bentley into a telephone pole. And most recently, he tested positive for cocaine prior to his Daniel Cormier fight at UFC 182. He publicly apologized and spent a day in rehab.