Shocking dashcam footage has emerged showing Raheem Sterling holding an inflated “hippy crack” balloon while behind the wheel of his £270,000 Lamborghini, shortly before he collided with a roadside barrier.
The footage appears to show a white balloon being held on the driver’s side as the footballer’s SUV travels along the M3 motorway.
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Sterling admitted charges of dangerous driving and possession of laughing gas, commonly known as nitrous oxide, at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
The former England winger, 31, is facing the possibility of a two-year prison sentence.
The Sun had earlier published footage showing Sterling swerving across a three-lane motorway after his arrest in May.
Moment Raheem Sterling seen inhaling laughing gas in his car 🚨 pic.twitter.com/hcrgN8IimG
— The Sun Football ⚽ (@TheSunFootball) September 15, 2026
However, fresh footage recorded by a passing motorist’s rear-facing dashcam has now emerged, appearing to show a balloon inside Sterling’s vehicle.
The footballer’s SUV is seen approaching the back of the car recording the footage as traffic moves along the busy three-lane motorway.
As the Lamborghini gets closer, a white balloon can be seen clearly through the windscreen.
The balloon is then moved slightly before disappearing below the dashboard and out of the camera’s view.
Sterling subsequently accelerates and appears close to overtaking the vehicle capturing the footage.
Moments later, he suddenly reduces his speed, forcing motorists behind him to brake.
The former England international also came close to hitting the central reservation, prompting fears among other road users that a serious accident could occur.
The shocked motorist who captured the footage, an IT manager travelling to work, said she recognised Sterling that morning and noticed what appeared to be a suspicious balloon in his hand.
“It was early in the morning and I saw the Lambo on the motorway on my way to work, so had a quick look who was driving it out of curiosity,” she said.
“I recognised Sterling straight away and then saw he had a balloon in his hands, I couldn’t believe it, I knew instantly that it must be laughing gas.
“I thought it was a completely reckless thing to be doing while driving.
“My other reaction was that it was really irresponsible to be doing it while driving at this time of the morning during rush hour.
“Then when the news reports came out about the crash I went back to check my dashcam footage and noticed you can clearly see what appeared to be a white balloon being waved around in the driver’s seat of his car.”
The mother of two, who chose to remain anonymous, described Sterling’s conduct as “beyond unacceptable”.
Police reportedly found six nitrous oxide canisters inside Sterling’s Lamborghini Urus when they arrived at the crash scene in May. The vehicle had four blown tyres and visible scratches along its side.
The collision occurred seven hours after Sterling had allegedly been spotted driving “erratically” at a McDonald’s around 30 miles away while holding a pink balloon.
He was subsequently arrested and taken to a police station, where he failed brain function tests before later declining to provide a blood sample for laboratory analysis.
During Tuesday’s hearing at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court, Sterling only spoke to confirm his name and age. His address was not requested in open court because of concerns over potential burglary risks.
The witness who said she saw him inhaling the laughing gas said: “I could have easily been involved in a crash with him that day and my kids would be left without a mum; his behaviour is beyond unacceptable.
“Raheem Sterling is a role model for a lot of young people, he has a huge platform, and this kind of behaviour doesn’t set a good example to those that look up to him.
“The courts need to hand out a suitable punishment that sends a message to others, especially footballers.
“You can’t behave this way, it’s not acceptable.”
Another motorist, Christopher Jennings, reportedly spotted Sterling at 7.49am on the M25 and said he was “shocked at what he saw”.
Prosecutor Simon Jones said: “There was heavy traffic. The speed limit was reduced to 40mph and traffic was moving at around 30mph.
“He saw the black Lambo and when he was driving in parallel to the vehicle in lane two, he could see the driver was holding a large canister in his right hand which was attached to a balloon.
“He then saw Mr Sterling inflating the balloon, putting it to his mouth and inhaling the contents. “He called 999 to report his concern.”
Jennings reportedly kept Sterling’s vehicle in view for approximately 30 minutes.
The court was told he was “weaving from the far left to the far right and was so close to the white lines that other vehicles would have to brake and move over to prevent a crash.
“Mr Jennings believed Mr Sterling was going to crash into someone.
“As they approached the junction for the M4 the Lamborghini continued in lane one as if it was going to come off there.
“Five or six cars had to brake quite hard as the defendant moved lanes to continue on the M25. Effectively he cut across.”
Police bodycam footage showing Sterling’s arrest was also played at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court, located around 12 miles from the crash site.
An officer can be heard telling Sterling: “Get out of the car for me” to which Sterling replied: “Can I just make a call?”
The PC then asked: “What is your name?” and he responded: “Raheem.”
The officer followed up by asking: “What is your surname?” and Sterling replied: “Sterling.”
He was then asked for his date of birth, giving it as December 8, 1994.
Sterling subsequently said: “Give me your phone. “Stop tensing up. Put your arm behind your back.”
The court was also shown photographs of the damage sustained by Sterling’s Lamborghini, along with images of the nitrous oxide canisters found inside the vehicle. Prosecutor Simon Jones presented the photographs.
