Brandon Spikes Released by Patriots After Crash Involving Local Residents

New England Patriots linebacker Brandon Spikes on Monday was released by the team following a crash involving three local residents.

The crash happened early Sunday morning on Route 495 in Foxborough—the home of the Patriots’ stadium. State Police said the three Billerica residents—a 51-year-old man, a 32-year-old woman, and a 12-year-old boy, suffered minor injuries when a vehicle rear-ended them. They told police they didn’t see the vehicle.

Minutes earlier, police said a 2011 Mercedes Maybach registered to Spikes was found abandoned with front-end damage. At the time, officers were responding to an OnStar call that the vehicle hit a deer. No deer was found, police said.

Spikes reportedly spoke with police Monday morning; the Patriots announced at about 10 a.m. that they released him.

State Police said Sunday they had not discovered a link between the crashes.

After four years with the Patriots, Spikes spent the 2014 season with the Buffalo Bills before re-signing with New England in May.

This is a photo of Spikes’ vehicle after it was found (Credit: WHDH):

Top photo: Brandon Spikes. (Credit: Patriots.com)