WERE POLICE WRONG? Kyren Lacy Crash Death

Louisiana State Police (LSP) released new video evidence on Tuesday, October 7, which they claim reinforces their assertion that former LSU football player Kyren Lacy caused a fatal crash in Chackbay last December. However, an independent forensic engineer warns that multiple factors must be carefully considered in the incident.

Lacy, who was charged with negligent homicide and other counts, died by suicide in April before his case could be heard by a grand jury. The crash killed 78-year-old passenger Herman Hall.

LSP maintains that Lacy drove his Dodge Charger recklessly into oncoming traffic to pass vehicles in a no-passing zone. This action allegedly forced a northbound pickup truck to swerve, which in turn caused the driver behind it to swerve left into oncoming traffic, resulting in the head-on collision that killed Hall.

Lacy’s attorney, Matt Ory, is challenging this conclusion, arguing that surveillance footage shows Lacy’s car was back in its proper lane and 72.6 yards behind the collision at the point of impact. Ory cited a District Attorney’s office report indicating that the evidence does not support the idea that Lacy should have known his actions were the cause of a crash so far ahead of him. Furthermore, Ory noted that the other driver, who swerved into the opposing lane, was reportedly following too closely.

Brian Darr, a senior forensic engineer, stressed the complexity of crash reconstruction. He cautioned that a thorough analysis requires gathering all facts and a high level of scrutiny to ensure all possibilities are considered, noting that initial police reports can sometimes contain inaccuracies.

The ongoing dispute over the interpretation of the evidence underscores the complexities of determining ultimate culpability in chain-reaction crashes, even after the death of the charged individual.