A white Louisiana teen won’t be facing any jail time after killing a black pedestrian with his car then laughing about it on social media.
Washington Post reports that Sherell Lewis Jr was helping another driver clear debris from the road when he was struck by a pickup truck driven by Matthew Martin in May. Lewis was pronounced dead at an area hospital. Following the incident, Martin posted the accident on his Snapchat account and told a friend that he hit, “some nigger.”
On Thursday, Louisiana State Police said in a statement on Facebook Thursday that they won’t be pressing any charges after conducting “a very thorough and comprehensive investigation into the crash” since Martin was not violating any traffic laws or using his cell phone and although his social media posts were insensitive, he did not break any laws.
Martin was operating his vehicle at the posted speed limit of 55 mph, prior to the crash, and decreased his speed as he approached Lewis Jr.’s location in the roadway.
As Martin was nearing the scene, he switched his vehicle from the right lane to the left lane. As Lewis Jr. entered the right lane, he altered his direction of travel and began walking back towards the grass median. This action placed him in the direct path of the 2003 Chevrolet pickup.
Injuries Lewis Jr. sustained and the front bumper damage to the Chevrolet helped to confirm the direction Lewis Jr. was walking when the collision occurred.
Martin’s cell phone was examined by Louisiana State Police Forensics Investigators. It was concluded that he was not on his phone during the crash.
With regards to the insensitive comment posted to social media that occurred after the crash, we defer to the statement made by Sheriff Sam Craft of the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office.
To see the photos of the racist Snapchat messages Martin posted, plus the full statement from Louisiana State Police flip the pages.