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Former LSU receiver Kyren Lacy, who was facing criminal charges stemming from a fatal car accident in December, has died at the age of 24, his attorney and the college confirmed on Sunday.
A report released by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said Lacy had been found dead after crashing his car during a pursuit. The report said Lacy had apparently taken his own life.
“It is with profound sorrow that we confirm the tragic passing of Kyren Lacy. First and foremost, we ask that the public and the media give his family the space and time they need to grieve this unimaginable loss in peace,” Lacy’s attorney, Matthew Ory, told ESPN.
Lacy, who led LSU in receiving touchdowns with nine last season, had declared for this month’s NFL draft. But his sports career had been overshadowed by his alleged involvement in a incident in December that killed a 78-year-old man in Louisiana. Lacy was allegedly driving recklessly – speeding and passing in a no-passing zone – when a motorist who was swerving to avoid Lacy’s Dodge Charger crashed head-on into another vehicle. Herman Hall, who was involved in the head-on crash, died after being taken to hospital. Authorities said Lacy fled the scene of the crash without calling for help. Lacy was charged with negligent homicide, felony hit-and-run and reckless operation of a vehicle. He was released on $151,000 bail.
On Sunday, Ory told ESPN that he was “very confident the evidence, after being fully collected and reviewed, would lead to a declination of charges”. He added that “we will be demanding a full and transparent review of how this investigation was conducted and why.”
In a Facebook post on Sunday, Lacy’s father, Kenny, encouraged parents to monitor their children’s mental health.
“Our lives have changed forever and this will never be ok, but God needed my baby more than he was needed here,” Kenny Lacy wrote. “This has to be the biggest pill our families have had to swallow but I know the love and compassion in our families will get us through.”
Lacy played in 12 games for LSU last season and was second on the team in catches with 58 and yards receiving with 866. He declared for the NFL draft just days after December’s incident, but slipped down many teams’ draft boards after the fatal crash, and did not play in LSU’s victory over Baylor in the Texas Bowl on 31 December.
