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Ryan Clark, Pat McAfee and Scott Van Pelt reacted strongly to evidence intended to prove Kyren Lacy was innocent of allegedly causing a fatal crash last year.
However, when Louisiana State Police launched their own surveillance to defend their findings that Lacy’s “reckless operation” ultimately led to the death of a 78-year-old man, they reversed their earlier sentiments.
Upon seeing the video, Van Pelt said Monday evening that he could not “remember ever seeing something that made me react viscerally to the point where it felt like my hands were shaking.”
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Kyren Lacy of the LSU Tigers celebrates a catch against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field on October 26, 2024 in College Station, Texas. (Gus Stark/LSU/University Images via Getty Images)
“There’s video that shows that’s not what happened, and that this young man took his own life,” Van Pelt said of Lacy, who died by suicide in April.
Clark said Lacy “died living with the guilt and consequences of a guilty man, knowing he was innocent,” and “the police…tried to coerce, groom and use means to manipulate statements that put this young man behind bars.”
On Wednesday, after police released their findings, Van Pelt released a monologue on his ESPN show, apologizing “for the incomplete reaction aired on this show Monday night.”
“Lacy faced several charges, including felony negligent homicide, but he committed suicide days before a grand jury was due to convene – meaning his guilt or innocence will never be determined in a criminal court. The only certainty here is that this was a senseless tragedy in December, amplified by a second life lost in April,” Van Pelt added.
On Thursday’s edition of “First Take,” Clark said “it’s always important to me to gather all the factual and important information to provide a complete story…and during the live discussions Monday night, I failed to do that. And for that, I apologize.”
McAfee, after seeing Lacy’s lawyer’s claims, said he “didn’t do it” and “we need to get this straight,” via OutKick.
“We thought we had more context. Now more videos have been made available and they show even more context. They show Kyren Lacy driving on the wrong side of the road and could have easily made the case that he caused the car to swerve and the tragic crash. We apologize for adding more heat. We will continue to stay up to date with the latest news and this story. This is tragically sad and involves the legacy of a athlete,” McAfee also said Tuesday.
Kyren Lacy of the Tigers poses for a portrait during media day at the LSU indoor practice facility on June 17, 2024, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (LSU Athletics/University Images via Getty Images)
FORMER PENN STATE, OHIO STATE PLAYER CHARGED WITH HOMICIDE, DUI AFTER GIRLFRIEND DEATH IN FATAL ATV ACCIDENT
Louisiana State Police released a “critical incident information video” that appeared to show Lacy driving at “a high rate of speed, passing three passenger vehicles and a loaded 18-wheeler in a designated no-passing zone with a posted speed limit of 40 mph.”
The briefing video showed body camera footage of a witness — the driver of the 18-wheeler — claiming Lacy caused the wreck. That witness said the driver of a gold truck traveling north braked suddenly as Lacy’s Charger approached southbound, causing a female driver of a Kia Cadenza behind the gold truck to swerve into the southbound lane to avoid the truck. The Cadenza then crashed into the Kia Sorrento carrying Herman Hall, who was heading south. Hall died from his injuries.
“The northbound gold truck veered right to avoid a head-on collision with the green Charger. As the gold truck veered right, the driver of the Kia Cadenza saw the green Charger approaching. In response, the driver of the Kia Cadenza swerved left into the southbound lane and struck a northbound Kia Sorrento,” police said, adding that the driver of the golden truck “reacted appropriately” to avoid an accident with Lacy.
Lacy’s attorney, Matt Ory, said Lacy could not have caused the accident, given that he was nearly a football field away from the wreck by the time he got back into the right lane.
“At the time of impact, he was 250 feet behind the vehicles at the time of impact. Key word: behind the vehicles. That’s not how this story has been portrayed. Ever,” Ory said.
Kyren Lacy runs the ball as LSU faces the Nicholls Colonels at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on September 7, 2024. (Clause Scott/USA Today Network)
However, police said, “All evidence collected supports the conclusion that Lacy’s reckless driving of the green Charger into oncoming traffic triggered a chain of events involving the other drivers, ultimately resulting in the fatal crash.” »
