Panthers first-round draft pick cited for reckless driving, speeding

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Carolina Panthers rookie is in trouble with the law before playing his first official game with the team.

Police cited wide receiver D.J. Moore with several traffic violations, including speeding, reckless driving and speeding in a work zone.

Most traffic tickets, you can deal with out of court, but Moore was speeding in an I-77 work zone, he will have to appear before a judge.

He is due in court in October.

The Panthers drafted Moore in the first round.

[Panthers select WR D.J. Moore first round]

Panthers coach Ron Rivera said Tuesday that Moore came to the team right away after he was charged with reckless driving the night after the preseason opener against Buffalo.

Rivera said he hopes it serves as a lesson to Moore and other young players.

"When it all happened, DJ came to us right away and explained the situation. He was very remorseful. He understood. We chastised him obviously and he's moving on," Rivera said.

Moore was charged with going 113 mph in a 65-mph work zone on Interstate 77 around 3 a.m. after the team got home from Buffalo.

Channel 9 spoke with area legal experts who said a conviction can result in hundreds of dollars in fines, community service, and even a suspended license.

Trooper H.L. Bautista stopped Moore near the W.T. Harris Boulevard exit. In the officer comments section of his report, he used an expletive to describe how fast Moore was going.

It read, "Speed estimation was, (expletive) that car was going fast."

Channel 9's Blaine Tolison spoke with officials with the Highway Patrol in Raleigh and they would not comment about specific disciplinary action for Bautista, but said they are a professional agency and this is something they were certainly dealing with.

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