Racist Snapchat Messages Following Fatal Hit-and-Run Sparks Outrage

Sherell “Rell” Lewis was being a good Samaritan on Tuesday when he pulled his car over to clear wood from the middle of the highway in Leesville, Louisiana. But unfortunately, his life was cut short when he was struck by a 2003 Chevrolet pickup driven by 18-year-old Matthew Martin.

Lewis was pronounced dead at the Byrd Regional Hospital. It was his birthday. An investigation and routine toxicology exam are pending, but what happened after the accident is what made the situation ugly.

Screenshots of Snapchat messages, allegedly from Martin, is circulating the Internet, exposing his disgusting ways. Martin referred to the 31-year-old victim as “some n*gger” when recounting the incident to one of his Snapchat followers. When someone asked how Martin’s truck was, the user responded, “f*cked it up pretty good lol.”

Although the source of the screenshots has not been confirmed, Chief Deputy Calvin Turner of the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office told the Washington Post “all indications” suggest that Martin was part of the chat.

Sheriff Sam Craft of the Vernon Parish Sheriff Department issued the following statement on Facebook.

I am appalled at the content of the social media messages that were posted after the incident. This post is unacceptable and has no place in our society. The inflammatory words that were used were morally wrong.