The former England winger, 31, faces up to two years in prison if convicted, having already been arrested at the scene when his £270,000 vehicle collided with barriers on the M3 southbound near the Minley Interchange in Hampshire, reports the Daily Mail.
Police were called to the scene just before 9am on 28 May after reports of a Lamborghini swerving across the carriageway. Footage obtained by the Daily Mail appeared to show the vehicle veering across all three lanes as other drivers took evasive action, with the driver seemingly inhaling from a balloon before the crash occurred. No other vehicles were involved and no injuries were reported.
A Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary spokesperson confirmed the charges: dangerous driving, possession of nitrous oxide for wrongful inhalation, and failing to provide a specimen after his arrest.
"The charges come following a single-vehicle collision, involving a Lamborghini, on the M3 southbound, close to the Minley Interchange, on 28 May, 2026," the force said, confirming Sterling is due to appear at Basingstoke Magistrates' Court on 15 September.
The charges arrive during a difficult period for Sterling, who left Chelsea in January having been frozen out of the first-team picture and not featured competitively since May 2024. He subsequently joined Dutch club Feyenoord Rotterdam in February, but that loan arrangement ended in the summer and Sterling has been without a club since, despite reportedly still wanting to continue playing.
A motorist who provided dashcam footage of the incident to the Daily Mail, a driving instructor by profession, described the manner of driving as alarming.
"The car turned back into the inside lane but the driver put his foot down and veered right across all three lanes and seemed to just avoid hitting the central reservation," he said, adding that he had no idea the driver's identity until later learning of Sterling's arrest.
"I like Raheem but as a driving instructor I'm very concerned. He could have easily caused himself — and others — a great deal of harm."
A source close to the player told the Daily Mail that Sterling had endured a turbulent two years since his Chelsea career stalled.
"The psychological strain that has been put on him is immeasurable... It's been an extremely tough couple of years for him and this incident encompasses that," the source said.
Sterling, who is engaged to long-term partner Paige Milian, has not publicly commented on the charges.