Food influencer Keith Lee is facing backlash after posting a video where he thanked God for sparing his family after they nearly became victims of a deadly crash involving a drunk driver.
In the now-deleted video posted on Friday, Lee said he was driving on I-67 in Texas just before midnight on Thursday. Suddenly, a truck in front of him started ‘freaking out’ and swerved into another lane.
“He move out the way. There’s a car coming this way. Headlights on the freeway. 12 o’clock at night. I go jam, swerve behind the sand truck, get behind the sand truck,” said Lee.
A Deadly Turn
The influencer says that’s when the car drove right by him and went towards the four other cars that were driving behind him.
“In my rearview, I see a car try to get out his way. The car go all the way across all four lanes, trying to swerve back to gain control. [They] slam right into a wall,” he recounts.
The crash Lee is referring to happened on I-67 in Duncanville, according to KXAS. 29-year-old Kenan Ellis was killed. Two of Ellis’ cousins, who were with him in the car, were taken to the hospital.
Investigators found that the wrong-way driver, 29-year-old Alexander Nunez, was in a stolen car from Irving, Texas. He is charged with intoxication assault, intoxication manslaughter, and unauthorized use of a vehicle.
“My condolences go out to the family that lost a loved one. If I can’t say nothing else, I’mma say God is amazing, and I’mma say it every time,” Lee said in his video.
‘Tone-Deaf’
Comments were divided over the video, with many calling the post tone-deaf given that someone lost their life in the crash.
“Immediately when he started praising God, I scrolled. Like, it’s so tone deaf,” one TikTok comment read.
Another person agreed, saying, “I know his adrenaline was rushing and he wanted to give a testimony, but that was very insensitive and implied that the other person wasn’t worthy enough to make it.”
Other people took up for Lee.
“Yes, that was extremely tone deaf. But we know Keith Lee himself isn’t inherently a bad person. He said something externally dumb, but let’s not crucify him,” one user wrote.
“This is sad fr. You can thank God for protecting YOU while still feeling sad for the other people. The world has completely lost its sense of nuance smfh,” another said.
Family Responds
A woman who goes by Chinney on TikTok says Ellis was the father of her children. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help the family.
“Our family is devasted by this heartbreaking loss. My children are hurting and struggling to understand why their father was taken from them,” she wrote in the caption of her TikTok video.
@chindaproblem @Keith Lee made a video sharing his testimony about the wrong-way driver crash, and as a family, we know there was no malicious intent behind what was said. I tagged him because stop bashing and placing the blame on him! That’s not fair. Unfortunately, that same wrong-way driver took the life of my children’s father, Kenan, while also injuring two others. Our family is devastated by this heartbreaking loss. My children are hurting and struggling to understand why their father was taken from them. We ask that you please keep our family, especially my children, in your thoughts and prayers as we navigate this unimaginable pain. A go fund me has been made and we are grateful for any donations received and if you are not able to donate please pray for us! 💔🕊️#fy #fyp #crash #duncanville #loss ♬ original sound – MrWise
Chinney also addressed Keith Lee’s video in her post.
“As a family, we know there was no malicious intent behind what was said. I tagged him because stop bashing and placing the blame on him! That’s not fair.”
Nunez remains jailed on a $110,000 bond and an immigration hold for being in the country illegally, according to law enforcement.
