Kyren Lacy Died Days Before His Grand Jury Hearing for Hit-and-Run: What to Know About Legal Case
2025 NFL Draft hopeful Kyren Lacy died days before a grand jury was set to begin arguments over his alleged hit-and-run case.
News of Lacy's death was confirmed by local Louisiana outlet WAFB 9 just one day before the hearing was scheduled to begin on April 14, 2025.
The former Louisiana State University wide receiver was arrested in December 2024 and charged with negligent homicide, felony hit-and-run and reckless driving after authorities presumed he was involved in a fatal car accident that killed one individual and injured others.
Lacy was released on bond two days before declaring for the NFL Draft. He had maintained his innocence in the legal case.
2025 NFL Draft Prospect Kyren Lacy Dead at 24, Family Member Confirms
Keep scrolling for everything to know about the incident and legal case:
The Louisiana State Police alleged in December 2024 that Lacy was involved in a highway car crash that led to the death of an individual.
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,' a press release read. 'Traveling behind the pickup was a 2017 Kia Cadenza whose driver swerved left to avoid the oncoming Dodge Charger. As the Kia Cadenza took evasive action to avoid impact with the Dodge, it crossed the centerline and collided head-on with a southbound 2017 Kia Sorento.'
At the time, Lacy's agent, Rocky Arceneaux, told ESPN in a statement that his client was 'fully cooperating with the authorities.'
Lacy turned himself into the police following the car accident and was arrested on charges of negligent homicide, felony hit-and-run and reckless driving. He was released on a $151,000 bond — two days before declaring for the NFL Draft.
Celebrity Deaths of 2025: Aubrey Plaza's Husband Jeff Baena and More Stars We've Lost This Year
Lacy's lawyer claimed in a February 2025 statement that the athlete was not involved in the crash.
'On the day of the accident, Mr. Lacy was driving on a road with two lanes, one in each direction. While he briefly passed other vehicles, he safely reentered his lane without incident,' attorney Matthew Ory said. 'The collision that resulted in the death of [another driver] was not caused by Mr. Lacy's actions. The accident occurred directly in front of him when a second vehicle in the oncoming lane crossed the centerline and collided with [the] vehicle, in which he was a passenger.'
According to Ory, Lacy only 'cautiously went around the vehicles after passage was safe.'
'It is crucial to emphasize that Mr. Lacy did not cause or contribute to the crash. There was no suspicion of alcohol or drug use involved,' Ory added in his statement. 'Furthermore, contrary to some media reports, Mr. Lacy never 'returned' to the scene of the accident. … He did not believe he was at fault for the accident, and as such, he continued with his daily activities. Throughout his career, Mr. Lacy has been an exemplary community member and teammate. We ask that he not be judged prematurely, and we are confident that further investigation will show he acted within the bounds of the law.'
News broke one day before the grand jury hearing that Lacy had died at the age of 24. A cause of death has not yet been revealed.
'Rest easy lil bro 🕊,' NFL star Odell Beckham Jr. wrote via Instagram Stories on April 13, 2025, sharing a photo of the pair in a locker room.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Officials remind drivers to ‘move over' after patrol vehicles hit in northeast GA
Authorities said when you see emergency lights on the road, remember two things: slow down and move over. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The reminder comes after a Habersham County deputy patrol car was hit by another vehicle Saturday night. The sheriff's office said the deputy's Dodge Charger was providing lights for a road construction project on Georgia 365 southbound near James Short Tractor in Alto. TRENDING STORIES: Atlanta Public Schools approves new $1.3 billion budget, will cut 135 positions Chase in DeKalb ends in crash on Peachtree Blvd by I-285 ramp Man sentenced for kidnapping, raping woman in DeKalb nearly 40 years ago Officials said, while helping with the first wreck, a Demorest police officer's patrol vehicle was hit by another car as he tried to conduct a traffic stop on Georgia 365 near the Double Bridge Connector. The Georgia State Patrol is investigating both crashes. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] 'These collisions serve as an urgent reminder of the importance of slowing down whenever you see emergency lights or utility vehicles working on or near a roadway,' said Habersham County Sheriff Robin Krockum. 'This is not the first time one of our vehicles has been struck trying to keep work crews safe in that area of Ga. 365, but thankfully our personnel and others involved have not been injured in the collisions.' Georgia's Move Over Law requires drivers to move over one lane when possible if an emergency vehicle with flashing lights is parked on the shoulder of the highway. If traffic is too heavy, authorities ask drivers to slow down and be prepared to stop.
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
Jets' Josh Reynolds says he's 'blessed' to be playing after rough year that included being shot
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Josh Reynolds has had plenty of time to reflect on how tumultuous his life was last year — on and off the field. The failed stint with Denver. A hand injury that landed him on injured reserve. The bullet wounds on his head and arm from an early morning shooting . His comeback from his injuries. His brief stay in Jacksonville.
Associated Press
2 hours ago
- Associated Press
Jets' Josh Reynolds says he's 'blessed' to be playing after rough year that included being shot
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Josh Reynolds has had plenty of time to reflect on how tumultuous his life was last year — on and off the field. The failed stint with Denver. A hand injury that landed him on injured reserve. The bullet wounds on his head and arm from an early morning shooting. His comeback from his injuries. His brief stay in Jacksonville. The New York Jets wide receiver would rather keep that all in the past now and focus on his new opportunity. 'I'm blessed, you know?' Reynolds said Tuesday after practice during organized team activities. 'I'm blessed to be here, blessed to still be playing. So, I'm going to take it one day at a time and continue to get better.' At 30, Reynolds is one of the Jets' oldest players after New York's new regime under general manager Darren Mougey and coach Aaron Glenn focused on revamping the roster and infusing youth. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who turns 36 in August, is the team's oldest player, followed by long snapper Thomas Hennessy, who turns 31 next Wednesday, and then Reynolds. Garrett Wilson is the Jets' No. 1 wide receiver, but the team is looking for a complementary No. 2 — and Reynolds is in that mix, along with Allen Lazard, Tyler Johnson, Xavier Gipson, Malachi Corley and rookie Arian Smith, among others. 'I'm here for whatever they need me for,' Reynolds said. 'If it's (No.) 2, if it's (No.) 3, I mean, I'm here to help the team win.' The fact he's even here now, though, is in many ways a victory in itself. Reynolds, a fourth-round pick by the Rams out of Texas A&M in 2017, signed last offseason with Denver — where Mougey was the assistant GM — and caught 12 passes for 183 yards and a touchdown in five games before being placed on injured reserve with a broken finger. On Oct. 18, while still healing from that injury, Reynolds was shot in the left arm and the back of the head — injuries later classified as minor — after he left a strip club in Glendale, Colorado, at about 2:45 a.m. Reynolds said he and two other men were followed into and then out of the club before shots were fired into their SUV. Reynolds worked his way back onto the football field, but was waived by Denver in December before playing another game. He was claimed by Jacksonville and caught one pass in four games before being released in March. 'Yeah, life is precious, for sure,' said Reynolds, who has spoken very little about the shooting or the ups and downs of last season. 'But the more you've got to think about it, the more you're just kind of reliving it. And so I've moved past it, I'm here in Jersey and ready to get going.' The Jets signed Reynolds three weeks after he was cut by the Jaguars, giving him a one-year deal worth up to $5 million. Aside from Mougey's familiarity with Reynolds, Glenn also knew the wide receiver from his two-plus seasons in Detroit from 2021-23 when Glenn was the Lions' defensive coordinator. 'I care about good players, so, if he is a good player, I want him in the locker room,' Glenn said. 'If I knew him or not, that doesn't matter to me. The fact of the matter is he is a good player and I think he has a lot left in the tank. I want him in the locker room. Plus, he's a good person.' Reynolds also knows Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand, who was the Lions' passing game coordinator during his last two seasons in Detroit. That gives Reynolds a bit of an edge in quickly picking up New York's system, which he said is 'pretty similar' to what he saw with the Lions, but with some 'twists and stuff' that Engstrand has installed. 'Honestly, I thought it was going to be a little harder, but, no, once I kind of heard and seen these plays, I was like, oh yeah, the memories started flooding back in,' Reynolds said. 'A lot of it is just more being able to kind of do it as soon as you hear it.' — AP NFL:
