Rueben Bain was driving on Interstate 95 in Miami at 4 a.m. on 17 March 2024 when his vehicle struck another car and slammed into concrete barriers on both sides of the highway. One of the four passengers in the car, Destiny Betts, a 22-year-old college student from Georgia visiting Miami for spring break, suffered incapacitating injuries and was rushed from the scene to the Ryder Trauma Center.
Betts never regained consciousness. She died on 13 June 2024 after spending almost three months in a coma, turning a late-night crash into a tragedy that has now followed Bain as he climbs draft boards and prompts fresh scrutiny of what happened that morning.
The police crash report said Bain operated his vehicle in a careless or negligent manner. It also said his car, which was owned by Miami Sports 27 Inc., hit the east concrete wall and then the west concrete wall before coming to rest. The vehicle was later towed after sustaining disabling damage. Bain was cited for careless driving, but no field sobriety test was administered at the scene.
Betts’ family described her as “a smart, caring young woman working towards her college degree,” and said the financial burden on her father has been severe. “Aside from the emotional toll that this has taken, the financial strain on her dad has been overwhelming,” the family said. “He has had to take time off work to be by Destiny’s side, missing out on crucial income during this already expensive time in Miami.”
The crash also involved two other University of Miami players, Wesley Bissainthe and Nyjalik Kelly, along with another passenger who was hospitalized. Kelly later transferred to UCF. Multiple league sources said they were aware of the incident and were continuing to investigate, while one source said, “We are still looking” and “We need more details.”
That scrutiny now lands on a player who currently sits seventh on the Consensus Big Board and has been projected as a top-10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Some team sources said the case reminded them of Laremy Tunsil’s draft-night slide, with one league source saying, “It feels like it could be [Laremy Tunsil] all over again,” and another adding, “It doesn’t feel like [Bain] has been transparent with us.” A team executive said, “We are concerned about multiple incidents,” and added, “We are waiting for the other shoe.”
Bain was cited for careless driving in March, and the charge was dismissed about two weeks before Betts died. He did not respond to a request for comment. What remains is a fatal crash, a dismissed citation and a draft prospect whose name is now tied to a case that league decision-makers say they are still trying to understand.
