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Ryan Clark, Pat McAfee and Scott Van Pelt reacted strongly to evidence attempting to prove Kyren Lacy was innocent of allegedly causing a fatal crash last year.
However, when the Louisiana State Police issued their own watch to defend their conclusions that Lacy’s “reckless operation” ultimately led to the death of a 78-year-old man, they retracted their earlier sentiments.
Watching the video, Van Pelt said Monday night that he couldn’t “remember ever seeing anything that made me react viscerally to the point where I felt my hands were shaking.”
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Kyren Lacy of the LSU Tigers celebrates a sack during the second quarter 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 is video that shows that this is not what happened and that this young man took his life,” Van Pelt said of Lacy, who committed suicide in April.
Clark said Lacy “died having to live with the guilt and consequences of a guilty man, knowing he was innocent,” and “the police…tried to coerce, manipulate and use forms of statement manipulation that put this young man behind bars.”
On Wednesday, after police released their findings, Van Pelt issued a monologue on his ESPN show, apologizing “for the sketchy reaction that aired on this show Monday night.”
Lacy faced several charges, including felony negligent homicide, but committed suicide days before a grand jury was to convene, meaning his guilt or innocence will never be determined in criminal court. “The only thing that is certain is that this was a senseless tragedy in December, magnified by a second life lost in April,” Van Pelt added.
On Thursday’s edition of “First Take,” Clark said that “it’s always important to me to gather all the factual and important information to provide the complete story… and when it was discussed in real time on Monday night, I didn’t do that. And for that, I apologize.”
McAfee, after seeing Lacy’s attorney’s claims, said he “didn’t do it” and “we have to get it right,” via OutKick.
“We thought we had more context. Now, more video has been made available and it shows even more context. It shows Kyren Lacy driving on the wrong side of the road and could have easily argued that he caused the car to swerve and the tragic accident. We apologize for adding more heat. We will continue to stay on top of breaking news and this story. This is tragically sad and involves the legacy of an athlete,” he said McAfee also on Tuesday.
Kyren Lacy of the LSU Tigers poses for a portrait during media day held at the LSU Indoor Practice Facility on June 17, 2024 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (LSU Athletics/University Images via Getty Images)
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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 speed limit of 40 mph.”
The news video showed body camera footage from a witness, the driver of the 18-wheeler, saying Lacy caused the crash. That witness said the driver of a gold truck traveling north slammed on the brakes as the 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, which was heading south. Hall died as a result of his injuries.
“The gold truck traveling north turned right to avoid a head-on collision with the green Charger. As the gold truck turned right, the driver of the Kia Cadenza saw the green Charger approaching. In reaction, the driver of the Kia Cadenza turned left into the southbound lane and struck a northbound Kia Sorrento,” police said, adding that the driver of the gold truck “reacted appropriately” to avoid a collision with Lacy.
Ory said that Lacy could not have caused the accident, considering he was almost a football field’s distance away from the accident when he returned to the correct lane.
“At the time of impact, I was 72.6 yards behind the vehicles. Keyword: behind the vehicles. That’s not how this story was painted. Ever,” Ory said.
Kyren Lacy runs the ball as the LSU Tigers take on the Nicholls Colonels at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Saturday, September 7, 2024. (SCOTT CLAUSE/RED USA TODAY/RED USA TODAY)
However, police said, “All evidence collected supports the conclusion that Lacy’s reckless operation of the green Charger into oncoming traffic set off the chain of events involving the other drivers, ultimately resulting in the fatal accident.”
