Bobby Petrino had a female passenger at the time of his accident

Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino was not alone Sunday when he crashed his motorcycle about 20 miles from Fayetteville — he had a female passenger.

Jessica Dorrell, 25, also was on the bike according to the Associated Press, which obtained a copy of the police report released Thursday. Petrino hired Dorrell, a former Arkansas volleyball player, on March 25 as the student-athlete development coordinator for the football team. She is in charge of organizing recruiting, including initial eligibility for each incoming player.

However, the revelation that Dorrell was on the bike with Petrino directly contradicts what Petrino to media on Tuesday. In the press conference, Petrino was asked if he was alone and he replied, "Yeah."

Also, a statement released by the school Sunday quoted Petrino's family as saying "no other individuals" were involved.

However, Dorrell's presence explains how Petrino was found after his motorcycle ended up in a ditch.

"When I came out of the ditch, there was a lady there that had flagged down a car," Petrino said Tuesday. "The guy that was in the passenger's seat said, 'Get in, we'll just take you right to the hospital instead of waiting,' and so I got in the car and they headed toward Fayetteville."

Dorrell was not injured in the accident and told police she did not know what caused the crash. Petrino suffered four broken ribs and a broken vertebra and said the wind and sun caused the accident. He also was not wearing a helmet.

Of course, the speculation about why Petrino omitted the fact that Dorrell was riding with him will fuel all sorts of innuendo and rumors. Bear in mind that Petrino, a 51-year-old father of four, had spent the day with his wife at the lake and noted that he had discussed helmet choices with his wife prior to leaving the house without one. The whole situation with Dorrell could have been totally innocent.

We don't know the whole story and perhaps never will.

I'll just leave it at that.

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