The parents of former LSU football player Kyren Lacy have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Louisiana State Police, alleging that a flawed and “fabricated investigation” into a 2025 traffic crash led to their son’s death.
According to WBRZ ABC News 2, Kenneth Lacy and Kandace Washington filed the lawsuit Friday against the agency and two troopers who investigated the January 2025 crash in Chackbay, according to the report. WBRZ states that Lacy was arrested following the investigation and died by suicide about three months later, shortly before his case was set to go before a grand jury.
The lawsuit alleges the investigation caused overwhelming emotional harm.
“The extreme emotional distress inflicted by Defendants’ intentional and reckless misconduct was the direct and proximate cause of Mr. Lacy’s decision to take his own life. But for Defendants’ fabricated investigation, false arrest and malicious prosecution, Mr. Lacy would be alive today.”
Investigation Disputed In Lawsuit
According to WBRZ, the Louisiana State Police said Lacy caused the crash by “recklessly passing multiple vehicles at a high rate of speed,” leading to a head on collision that killed 78 year old Herman Hall.
The lawsuit disputes that account, alleging it contradicts video evidence. The filing claims troopers produced an inaccurate crash report and failed to identify or interview a passenger in Lacy’s vehicle who was visible on video, the report states.
The complaint also alleges a trooper attempted to influence a witness statement. In WBRZ, the witness said the driver behind them caused the wreck, but the trooper allegedly instructed the witness to blame Lacy. When the witness refused to sign a written statement, the trooper marked it as “refused” and turned off his body camera, the report states.
Allegations Involving Other Driver
The lawsuit further alleges another driver involved in the crash was not charged, despite claims she was responsible. According to WBRZ, body camera footage shows a trooper telling the driver and her family, “she’s not being charged with nothing, so y’all don’t stress about that at all.”
The trooper also dismissed a citation issued at the scene, saying it “kind of jumped the gun on that one a little bit,” according to the report.
WBRZ reports the driver had prior citations for following too closely in 2015 and 2020, which were not disclosed during the investigation.
The filing further alleges troopers initially cited the driver for “following too close” before changing the citation to “crossing left of center,” which the complaint says was done to shift blame onto Lacy.
Independent Review Cited
In WBRZ, the lawsuit references an independent review by the Lafourche District Attorney’s Office that found “several inconsistencies” in the investigation. The review concluded troopers gave the impression that Lacy was actively passing vehicles at the time of the crash.
The review was completed April 11, 2025, one day before Lacy’s death, the report states.
Family Seeks Damages
WBRZ states that Lacy faced charges including negligent homicide, felony hit and run, and reckless operation of a vehicle following the crash.
The lawsuit states he experienced “emotional distress, public scrutiny, reputational harm, loss of professional opportunities and mental anguish” as a result of the investigation and charges.
His parents are now seeking damages for wrongful death, survival action, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, according to the report.
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