Surveillance Footage Contradicts Police Story in Kyren Lacy Crash Investigation

LAFAYETTE, La. (103.3 The GOAT) — Six months after former LSU wide receiver Kyren Lacy took his own life hours before facing a grand jury, newly released evidence shows the investigation that charged him with negligent homicide may have been wrong from the start.

In a 44-minute interview released Friday by Houma’s HTV10, Lacy’s attorney Matt Ory showed security camera footage and pieces of the Lafourche Parish District Attorney’s own report that contradict what Louisiana State Police told the public for months.

The big revelation: When a December 17, 2024, collision killed 78-year-old Herman Hall, Kyren Lacy was 72.6 yards behind the crash—almost a football field away—and already back in his lane.

“That is NOT how this story was ever painted,” Ory told HTV’s Martin Folse.

It wasn’t. And by the time the truth came out, it was far too late to save Lacy.

What the Evidence Actually Shows

The district attorney’s investigation says it plainly: “The evidence submitted in the crash report does not support that Kyren Lacy should have known his actions were the cause of the crash that happened approximately 72 yards in front of him.”

The surveillance footage shows something different from what the public heard. Yes, Lacy illegally passed four vehicles in a no-passing zone on Louisiana Highway 20 near Perez Lane. He never said he didn’t. But the data shows he was back in his southbound lane 92.3 yards behind Herman Hall’s Kia Sorento when the fatal collision happened.

Louisiana law says you have to get back in your lane within 100 feet after passing. Lacy was back at 120 yards.

Why the 72-Yard Distance Matters in Negligent Homicide Charges

“He was 72.6 yards away before they collide. He is almost a football field away back in his lane,” Ory said. “You can see another car come to a stop and then Kyren Lacy come to a stop.”

His conclusion is clear: “In the conclusion of the district attorney’s report, [LSP] gave the impression that Kyren Lacy was actively passing vehicles when the crash occurred, which is incorrect.”

What Really Happened That Morning

Here’s what you need to understand about the crash itself.

Lacy was driving his 2023 Dodge Charger south on Highway 20. He illegally passed four vehicles going about 35-40 mph. After he passed them, he got back in the southbound lane. In the northbound lane, a gold pickup truck and a 2017 Kia Cadenza were heading toward the vehicles Lacy had just passed.

What happened next depends on who you ask.

Louisiana State Police said that “as Lacy was illegally passing the 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.”

But the Kia Cadenza driver, whose vehicle hit Hall’s Sorento head-on and killed him, told a different story. According to Ory’s presentation of the DA’s findings, she said she was trying to avoid the gold truck in front of her, not Lacy’s green Dodge Charger.

The district attorney’s report says the investigating trooper “attempted to recap what she was saying, which seems to contradict her statements.”

The Body Camera Problem

The body camera footage Ory showed is worse.

It shows an LSP trooper talking to the gold pickup driver, the guy in the northbound lane who supposedly had to brake hard to avoid Lacy. The trooper tells him what to write in his statement. You can hear it on the recording.

"You had to slam on your brakes to avoid that Charger," the trooper is heard saying.

But on that same body camera, the driver said he “wasn’t going fast” and “didn’t even cause any skid marks.”

His written report says he had to “slam on the brakes” and use the emergency brake to avoid the crash. The body camera was turned off when he wrote that report.

The Witness They Never Called

Here’s maybe the worst part: There was a passenger in Lacy’s car. Louisiana State Police knew about him. They had video of him getting out of the car.

They never identified him. Never interviewed him. Never asked him what he saw.

“There was another passenger in Kyren Lacy’s car. They knew this. They have video footage of this individual getting out of the car,” Ory said. “Why didn’t you ascertain his identity? Why would you not want to hear the person with one of the best views of this incident? Why would you not bring him in for questioning?”

This person sat in the passenger seat while everything happened. He saw it all. And LSP never talked to him.

What LSP Investigation Failed to Include in Fatal Crash Case

The missing passenger interview represents just one gap in the investigation. The body camera evidence of coached statements, the contradictory witness accounts, and the district attorney’s findings all point to systemic problems with how the case was built against Lacy.

Kyren Lacy is Dead Too

On April 12, 2025, Kyren Lacy took his own life during a police chase in Houston. He was 24. The grand jury was supposed to hear his case the next morning.

Mental Health Warning Signs Kyren Lacy’s Father Wants Parents to Know

His father, Kenny, posted on social media, saying, “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. Mental Health is real, and for the most part, it’s invisible. Don’t ignore the signs, even if they may seem small.”

Kyren Lacy was from Thibodaux, same as Herman Hall. He led LSU in touchdowns last season with nine. He caught 58 passes for 866 yards and was getting ready for the NFL Draft when the crash happened.

His attorney says Lacy never thought he caused the collision. Not because he denied being there. Not because he denied passing cars illegally. But because he didn’t think what he did caused Herman Hall’s death.

The new evidence says he might have been right.

What Broke Him

After Lacy died, attorney Matt Ory described what those months were like for his client.

“Kyren was a young man with immense promise, and he was crushed under the weight of an irresponsible and prejudiced process," Ory said. "The negative barrage on social media, the circulation of his mugshot by nearly every news outlet rather than a standard photo, the recent civil lawsuit filed against him that named another defendant who mysteriously wasn’t charged with a crime, only him, and the overall tone of coverage painted a deeply biased picture before he ever had the chance to defend himself.”

Timeline: How Kyren Lacy's Case Ended Before the Grand Jury Hearing

“There was never a presumption of innocence which was exemplified by the NFL pulling his draft card over mere accusations without affording him the slightest chance to defend himself," Ory also explained. "The pressure and perception likely became unbearable.”

Kyren Lacy was never formally charged by the district attorney. The grand jury never heard his case. He died before he could show them the surveillance footage, before anyone could examine the DA’s findings, before a jury could decide if witness statements were coached.

He died before he got his day in court.

The Questions That Matter

Some things need to be answered.

If the district attorney’s own investigation said “the evidence does not support that Kyren Lacy should have known his actions were the cause of the crash,” why did Louisiana State Police get an arrest warrant?

Why wasn’t the passenger questioned?

Why does body camera footage show investigators telling witnesses what to say?

Why did what witnesses said on camera not match what showed up in their written reports?

And the big one: If Kyren Lacy had lived to see that grand jury, would they have declined to charge him based on this same evidence? Matt Ory isn’t done fighting.

“Let us be absolutely clear: This is far from over,” he said in April. “We will be demanding a full and transparent review of how this investigation was conducted and why. Those responsible for this gross miscarriage of justice must and will be held accountable.”

What Happens Now

Louisiana State Police hasn’t commented on the new evidence. The Lafourche Parish District Attorney’s office hasn’t either. Nobody’s explained why the LSP story is so different from what their own investigation found.

The civil lawsuit from the Hall family is still going, though it’s not clear what happens to it now that Lacy is dead.

What is clear is that the surveillance footage is real. The DA’s report is real. The body camera recordings are real. The questions they raise aren’t going away.

HTV10 and Martin Folse did what local journalism is supposed to do: bring evidence to light and demand answers when official stories don’t add up.

For Matt Ory, the fight goes on. Not for his client, who’s gone. But because justice needs truth, and truth needs investigations that follow evidence instead of assumptions.

Kyren Lacy is gone. We can’t bring him back. But we can demand answers about what really happened on Highway 20 in December and in the investigation that followed.

We owe Herman Hall’s memory that much. And we owe it to Kyren Lacy, too.

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, help is available 24/7. Call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.