Kyren Lacy Car Accident: Charges, Coaching Claim, and LSP Lawsuit

The Kyren Lacy car accident happened on the evening of December 17, 2024, on Louisiana Highway 20 in Lafourche Parish, when Louisiana State Police say the former LSU wide receiver’s reckless passing in a no-passing zone set off a chain-reaction crash that killed 78-year-old Herman Hall. Lacy was charged with negligent homicide, felony hit-and-run, and reckless operation of a vehicle. Months later, the Lafourche Parish District Attorney’s office found the evidence contradicted the police account, concluding Lacy had returned to his lane well before the collision. Lacy died by apparent suicide on April 12, 2025, two days before a grand jury was scheduled to hear the case. In April 2026, his parents sued the Louisiana State Police and two troopers.

What Happened on Highway 20

Lacy was driving a lime-green 2023 Dodge Charger southbound on Louisiana Highway 20 near Perez Lane. According to Louisiana State Police, he attempted to pass multiple vehicles at high speed in a marked no-passing zone, passing four vehicles, including an 18-wheeler, by entering the northbound lane.¹²

Police say a gold pickup truck traveling northbound braked and swerved right to avoid a head-on collision with the Charger. A 2017 Kia Cadenza following the truck then swerved left, crossed the centerline, and hit a southbound 2017 Kia Sorento head-on.¹ Herman Hall, a Vietnam veteran from Thibodaux who had retired from customs after 36 years, was a passenger in the Sorento. He died from his injuries.³

Lacy’s Charger never struck another vehicle. Police alleged he drove around the crash scene and continued south without stopping to render aid, report the collision, or call emergency services.¹

The Charges Filed Against Lacy

An arrest warrant was approved by the 17th Judicial District Court on January 8, 2025.⁴ Lacy turned himself in at the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex on January 12, 2025, and was booked on three charges: negligent homicide, felony hit-and-run, and reckless operation of a vehicle with an accident. Combined bond was set at $151,000, and he posted bail the same night.⁵

Under Louisiana law, negligent homicide is the killing of a human being by criminal negligence and carries up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.⁶ Beyond the arrest warrant, the Lafourche Parish District Attorney’s office never filed formal charges.⁴

What the District Attorney Found

On April 11, 2025, the day before Lacy’s death, the Lafourche Parish DA’s office completed an internal review of the State Police investigation. The report, produced under District Attorney Kristine Russell, identified “several inconsistencies” in the police account.²

The review contradicted the police narrative on three central points. On lane position, prosecutors found Lacy had returned to his correct lane well before the collision; if the stretch had been a legal passing zone, he would have been three times the required safe distance from the other vehicles and “would not have been responsible for any crash.” On causation, the DA concluded the Kia Cadenza driver swerved into oncoming traffic because they were following the gold truck too closely, not because of Lacy’s Charger.² On the hit-and-run count, the report stated that “the evidence submitted in the crash report does not support that Kyren Lacy should have known that his actions were the cause of the crash.”⁷

Video evidence reviewed by the DA showed that at the moment of impact, Lacy’s vehicle was roughly 120 yards from the Kia Cadenza and about 72 yards behind the point of collision.⁷ The Cadenza driver was initially cited for following too closely; the citation was later amended to “driving left of center.”⁸ No charges against that driver appear in the public record.

Allegations That a Trooper Coached a Witness

Lacy’s attorney, Matthew Ory, pointed to body camera footage in which a trooper is heard telling the gold truck driver what to put in a written statement: “Just make sure you add in there that you had to slam on your brakes to avoid that Charger… That’s very important because we’re trying to locate this Charger right now.”⁹

On camera, the same witness had told investigators he “didn’t skid” and “wasn’t going that fast,” and said plainly, “That lady behind me… she caused that wreck.” The arrest affidavit, however, described the driver taking “evasive action by emergency braking and driving off the roadway.” Ory said the body camera was turned off before the written statement was taken, and the document was ultimately marked “refused” rather than signed.⁹

The State Police and Attorney General’s Response

In October 2025, Louisiana State Police released a Critical Incident Briefing Video along with the full crash report, eyewitness statements, and additional footage. The agency maintained that “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.” Troopers also noted that Lacy called a Baton Rouge personal injury and defense attorney less than ten minutes after the crash.¹⁰

Attorney General Liz Murrill announced on October 6, 2025, that her office would independently review the witness statements and evidence.¹¹ Murrill acknowledged that the video showed Lacy returning to his lane but said that “does not absolve Kyren Lacy of responsibility,” pointing to witnesses who identified his vehicle as the one that “put the events in motion.”¹⁰ After her review, she concluded “the police did their job” and said she had “not seen any wrongdoing on State Police’s part.”¹²

Lacy’s Death Before the Grand Jury

On the night of April 12, 2025, Harris County, Texas, authorities responded to a report of a domestic argument in which Lacy had allegedly fired a gun into the ground.¹³¹⁴

He was 24. A grand jury had been scheduled to begin hearing evidence in the Lafourche Parish case on April 14. With his death, the proceeding became moot, and formal charges were never filed.¹³⁴ His attorney said he had been “very confident the evidence would lead to a declination of charges” and called for a full review of the investigation.

The Family’s Lawsuit Against Louisiana State Police

On April 10, 2026, Lacy’s parents filed a civil lawsuit in the 19th Judicial District Court in Baton Rouge against the Louisiana State Police, Trooper Tyler Werner, and Sergeant Leeman Howard.¹⁵ The suit brings claims of wrongful death, intentional infliction of emotional distress, false arrest and imprisonment, malicious prosecution, and civil rights violations.¹⁶

The filing alleges the troopers engaged in “falsifications, fabrications, intentional misrepresentations, and misconduct” to wrongfully blame Lacy, and that the crash was actually caused by a different driver. It specifically accuses Werner of instructing a witness to falsely state he “slammed on brakes” to avoid Lacy’s vehicle, despite the witness having said on camera that another driver caused the wreck.¹⁶ The family argues that “but for the Defendant’s fabricated investigation, false arrest and malicious prosecution, Mr. Lacy would still be alive today.”¹⁵

They have requested a jury trial. No specific damages figure has been reported.¹⁷ The Louisiana State Police declined to comment on the pending litigation, saying its investigative materials are publicly available and referring back to the October 2025 briefing video in which the agency stood by its findings.¹⁵

1
Louisiana State Police. LSP Releases Evidence in Fatal Lafourche Parish Crash Involving Kyren Lacy
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ABC News. Prosecutors Report Disputed Police Claims in Fatal Crash
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FOX 8 Live. Who Is Herman Hall, Man Killed in Crash Allegedly Caused by LSU Star Kyren Lacy
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KPEL 96.5. Kyren Lacy Prosecutors Contradict State Police
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KPLC TV. LSU Standout Kyren Lacy Arrested on Charges of Negligent Homicide, Felony Hit and Run
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Louisiana State Legislature. RS 14:32 – Negligent Homicide
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FOX 8 Live. Lafourche Parish District Attorney Report Finds Inconsistencies in State Police Investigation
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ABC News. Police Release Video Evidence in NFL Draft Prospect Kyren Lacy Case
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WAFB. Brian Kelly Reacts to New Video Evidence in Kyren Lacy Case
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WAFB. LSP Releases New Video Evidence in Deadly Crash Kyren Lacy Case
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KATC. Louisiana Attorney General to Conduct Independent Investigation of Crash Involving Kyren Lacy
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Louisiana Radio Network. AG Responds to Kyren Lacy Case
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ESPN. Former LSU WR Kyren Lacy Died of Apparent Suicide During Police Chase
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CBS News. Kyren Lacy, LSU Receiver, Dead of Apparent Suicide During Police Chase
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WWNO. Kyren Lacy’s Family Sues LSP, Claims Fabricated Investigation Led to Former LSU Player’s Death
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WAFB. Kyren Lacy’s Family Alleges State Police Botched Investigation Leading to His Death
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WDSU. Kyren Lacy Lawsuit Against State Police