Kyren Lacy car crash details: What we know about charges, police report in LSU WR's controversial case

Daniel Mader

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Kyren Lacy car crash details: What we know about charges, police report in LSU WR's controversial case image

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Former LSU wide receiver Kyren Lacy was arrested in January 2025 on counts of negligent homicide, felony hit-and-run and reckless operation of a vehicle after being accused of causing a head-on car crash on Louisiana Highway 20 in December 2024.

Two days before Lacy was scheduled to appear before a grand jury in connection with the crash, he died in April 2025 of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound following a police chase near Houston, Texas.

In October 2025, an attorney for Lacy released new video evidence in the case suggesting his vehicle was far behind the crash. The Louisiana State Police also released additional surveillance footage, witness statements and police reports from the day of the incident that indicated Lacy’s driving led to the collision.

Here’s what is known about the crash case involving Lacy and his April 2025 death.

What happened to Kyren Lacy?

Lacy, a former collegiate wide receiver at Louisiana and LSU, died in April 2025 from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound following a police pursuit in Texas, according to local authorities. He was 24.

The incident occurred two days before Lacy was scheduled to appear in court on charges related to a December 2024 car accident in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana.

Between the December crash and his death in April 2025, Lacy had completed his fifth college football season and second at LSU. He had announced in December 2024 his plans to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft.

Kyren Lacy car crash details

On January 10, 2025, Louisiana State Police issued an arrest warrant for Lacy, with accusations of speeding and illegally passing cars, causing a head-on crash that killed a 78-year-old passenger on December 17, 2024.

Lacy turned himself in and was later released on $151,000 bail on January 12 according to the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office’s online records, per CNN. Police reports have indicated that Lacy was the driver of a 2023 Dodge Charger driving "recklessly," causing the car crash in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana.

More recently, Lacy's attorney publicly shared evidence that suggested Lacy was far behind the accident at time of impact, which prompted Louisiana State Police to release its full report, video evidence and witness statements from the investigation.

Police report

In October 2025, the Louisiana State Police released a full crash report, video, multiple witness statements and more surrounding the December 2024 car accident implicating Lacy, in the wake of new evidence as part of a "commitment to transparency." 

The statement about releasing the full police report read: "As part of our commitment to transparency, the Louisiana State Police has released the full crash report, multiple witness statements, and additional video evidence surrounding the December 17, 2024, fatal crash on Louisiana Highway 20. A Critical Incident Briefing Video (CIBV) has been created to provide a clear overview of the events, facts, and investigative findings.

Louisiana State Police conducted a detailed investigation with assistance from crash reconstruction experts and all available information at the time. The findings were reviewed in consultation with the Lafourche Parish District Attorney’s Office to determine appropriate charges. Investigators then presented the case to the 17th Judicial District Court, which approved an arrest warrant for Lacy, who was awaiting a grand jury hearing."

According to the Jan. 10 police report updated in the case, on Dec. 17, 2024, a 2023 Dodge Charger, with the driver later identified as Lacy, "recklessly passed multiple vehicles at a high rate of speed by crossing the centerline and entering the northbound lane while in a designated No-Passing Zone." As Lacy allegedly passed other vehicles, "the driver of a northbound pickup truck abruptly braked and swerved to the right to avoid a head-on collision with the approaching Dodge."

New revelations on Oct. 10 revealed Lacy was clocked at 88 mph in a 40 mph zone before the crash.

Behind the pickup truck, a 2017 Kia Cadenza then reportedly swerved to the left to "avoid the oncoming Dodge Charger," and that Kia Cadenza then "crossed the centerline and collided head-on with a southbound 2017 Kia Sorento."

The police report states that "Lacy drove around the crash scene and fled south" on Louisiana Highway 20 without offering aid to victims of the crash, reporting his involvement or calling emergency services. A passenger in the 2017 Kia Sorento, 78-year-old Herman Hall, later died at the hospital due to his injuries.

Per ESPN, police also said "evidence supports" that less than 10 minutes after the crash, Lacy's first outgoing phone call "was to a Baton Rouge-area personal injury and defense attorney."

In their following investigation, police identified Lacy as the driver of the Dodge Charger at the time of the crash, then obtained an arrest warrant for Lacy's alleged role in causing the accident.

Video

The Louisiana State Police also released a video in October 2025 detailing the evidence in Lacy’s car crash case. Superintendent Col. Robert P. Hodges opens the video by saying it is “intended to give the community a better understanding of the incident that occurred.”

The video outlines the timeline of the crash and Lacy’s subsequent arrest, showing surveillance footage of the moments leading up to the crash — including Lacy’s Dodge Charger passing vehicles on the highway — along with body cam footage from responding officers speaking with witnesses at the scene.

"Since the incident occurred, the Louisiana State Police never reported that the green [Dodge] Charger impacted any of the involved vehicles," the Louisiana State Police department said in their video. "However, all evidence collected supports the conclusion that Lacy's reckless operation of the green Charger in oncoming traffic triggered the chain of events involving the other drivers, ultimately resulting in the fatal crash."

On the police body cam footage, one witness says, "a green Charger caused all this." The witnesses' faces are blurred in the video.

Prior to the Louisiana State Police releasing that video, Lacy's attorney, Matt Ory, spoke to TV station HTV10 over surveillance video that also caught Lacy's Dodge Charger at the time of the car crash. The video and Ory's statements suggested Lacy was driving far behind the accident when it happened.

Per ESPN, Ory also "showed body cam footage video that suggested an officer later coerced the pickup driver to testify that Lacy's green car caused the accident." In the video, the driver of the pickup truck states: "That lady in the back of me, she didn't see what's happening. That's how she caused that wreck." Per ESPN, that driver did not sign the witness statement according to Ory.

Kyren Lacy charges

Lacy was charged with negligent homicide, felony hit-and-run and reckless operation of a vehicle in connection to the Dec. 17, 2024 car accident in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana. At the time of his death on Apr. 12, 2025, the Lafourche Parish district attorney's office had not formally charged Lacy and had been preparing to send the case to a grand jury for an indictment on April 14.

Kyren Lacy attorney statement

In October 2025, Lacy's attorney, Matt Ory, spoke in an interview with HTV10 about the former wide receiver's car accident case. Along with showcasing his video evidence of Lacy's Dodge Challenger at the time of the accident, Ory said that Lacy being around 72 yards behind the vehicles in the crash "is not how this story was ever painted."

"We know from data that Kyren Lacy did in fact pass four cars, there’s no disputing that. Further north, Kyren Lacy passed four cars,” Ory said. "However, he was back in his lane of travel, 92.3 yards – back in his lane – behind Mr. Hall.

“He’s 72.6 yards behind the vehicles at the time of impact. Key word, behind the vehicles. That is not how this story was ever painted. Never."

In the wake of Ory's interview and new evidence, the Louisiana State Police released the full crash report, eyewitness statements and additional footage.

How did Kyren Lacy die?

Kyren Lacy died in April 2025 at 24 years old due to what local authorities called a “self-inflicted gunshot wound” following a pursuit in Houston, Texas. 

According to Click2Houston, Harris County authorities responded to a weapons disturbance call around 11:15 p.m. local time on Saturday, Apr. 12, when Lacy and a family member were involved in an argument. Lacy had allegedly discharged a firearm into the ground, then left the scene in a vehicle before authorities arrived.

When police later found Lacy's vehicle around 11:35 p.m., authorities said he sped away from an attempted traffic stop, then a vehicle pursuit ended when his car crashed near the 25900 block of Aldine Westfield, per Click2Houston. The sheriff’s office said when authorities tried to remove Lacy from the vehicle to arrest him, they found he had suffered a “self-inflicted gunshot wound.” He was pronounced dead at the scene. 

A handgun was recovered from the interior of the vehicle, per Click2Houston, and a review of the officers' body cameras and in-car dash-mounted video did not indicate any shots were fired after the pursuit ended.

Cause of death

Lacy died of an apparent suicide in April 2025. Authorities found the 24-year-old with a "self-inflicted gunshot wound” following a pursuit in Houston, Texas, which came after police responded to a weapons disturbance call that allegedly involved Lacy and a family member in an argument.

Is Kyren Lacy innocent?

Kyren Lacy was not declared innocent of his charges. His attorney, Matthew Ory, has maintained Lacy’s innocence from the beginning of the case, and the public release of new evidence has caused the further developments in the car accident case.

The Louisiana State Police department's statement in October 2025 indicated it still believes the investigation was valid and that the department believes Lacy's driving led to the collision in December 2024.

"Investigative findings revealed that Mr. Lacy’s reckless driving while approaching oncoming traffic led to the events of the crash," LSP's statement said, per WDSU. "The findings were presented to the 17th Judicial District Court, which approved an arrest warrant based on the evidence collected. As with all investigations leading to arrest, the subjects of the investigation are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. No one disputes that he was behind the crash scene. His swerving, passing cars, and reckless operation caused the series of crash events."

According to 4WWL, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said on Oct. 6 that she plans to "take a closer look" at the evidence of Lacy's case and investigation of the accident. Additionally, Murill told ESPN through a spokesperson that she "has been in touch with state police about independently reviewing all the witness statements and evidence in the case."

"I have been in touch with Louisiana State Police about independently reviewing all the witness statements and evidence in this case," Murrill said in a statement, per 4WWL.

Per ESPN, in Louisiana, a person can be guilty of vehicular homicide whether the death was "caused proximately or caused directly." A driver does not have to make contact with the vehicle to be at fault, according to state statute.

Additionally, the Louisiana Democratic Party is reportedly calling for "The Lacy Law," which would be focused on holding law enforcement accountable for false reporting and wrongful accusations.

What did Ryan Clark say?

Various figures in the sports world have voiced support for Lacy, with some claiming he was innocent. Former NFL star Ryan Clark called Lacy “innocent” during ESPN’s Monday Night Football broadcast in October, saying Lacy “died having to live with the guilt.”

“Kyren Lacy was supposed to be in the NFL. Kyren Lacy was accused of something and being investigated for something that he didn’t do,” Clark said. “Kyren Lacy was innocent. Kyren Lacy should be here with us. Nothing can ever repair or replace the pain that his parents and loved ones have to feel.”

Following Louisiana State Police's release of new evidence suggesting that Lacy's driving was a contributing factor in the crash, Clark issued a public apology on "First Take." He reached out to Lacy's representatives and Louisiana State Police before doing so.

“Two lives have been lost," Clark said. "Herman Hall, a man who spent his life in service of others, and Kyren Lacy, a young man I wish I could tell how much he had to live for. My heart absolutely breaks for both of them, their families and their loved ones.

"In full transparency, I knew Kyren Lacy personally. But nothing matters to me more than the truth. I always strive to do my best to mix authenticity with the most complete and up-to-date information available. I failed to do that Monday night based on the subsequent evidence that has been released by the Louisiana State Police Department.

“I set the highest standards of fairness and most importantly righteousness in my work. I didn’t meet that standard. But since, I’ve spoken to Kyren’s representation at length, and I’ve also reached out to a representative at the State Police office just to have a conversation.

"They informed me this morning that because it’s ongoing litigation, they actually can’t divulge anything else. It’s always important to me that I gather all factual and important information to provide the complete story. That’s a responsibility that I do not take lightly. And when discussed in real time Monday evening, I failed to do so. And for that, I apologize.”

Kyren Lacy family

Kyren Lacy's father is Kenny Lacy and his mother is Kandace Washington. Lacy also had two brothers, Jayden and Liam, according to his Louisiana roster page.

After Kyren Lacy's death, his father, Kenny, shared a message to social media.

"Young parents, start talking to your kids at a very early age and make sure they are confident and comfortable confiding in you. Don't be cool with 'I'm alright, or I'm good' when you know deep down something isn't right," Kenny Lacy wrote on Facebook. "Mental health is real, and for the most part, it's invisible, don't ignore the signs, even if they may seem small.

Our lives have changed forever and this will never be ok, but God needed my baby more than he was needed here. This has to be the biggest pill our families have had to swallow but I know the love and compassion in our families will get us through. This will never get easier, but we'll learn to live with it."

Daniel Mader

Daniel Mader is a Content Producer for The Sporting News. He joined SN in 2024 as an editorial intern following graduation from Penn State University. He has previously written for Sports Illustrated, NBC Sports, the Centre Daily Times, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Daily Collegian and LancasterOnline. Daniel grew up in Lancaster, Penn., with a love for baseball that’ll never fade, but could also talk basketball or football for days.