In what has to be the most shocking and compelling YouTube video in the site’s history, an Ohio man comes clean about killing another driver in an unsolved hit-and-run incident. 22-year-old Matt Cordle confessed “I killed a man” referring to referring to Vincent Canzani who died after an accident in the early summer.
“I take full responsibility for everything I’ve done to Vincent and his family,” he states in the video which has since gone viral all over the world. Cordle hasn’t yet been charged, though court official have confirmed that he’s being held under suspicion of causing a fatal accident and is likely to be indicted for aggravated vehicular homicide.
What’s particularly striking and powerful about the video is how expertly it appears to have been produced. When he begins to talk about the June 22 incident during which he lost control of a vehicle after drinking heavily, his face is blurred.
He also spoke of the assistance offered to him by defence at tourneys, stating that he chose to confess when it would have been easy to get away with it.
“All I had to do was lie,” he added.
As far as his motivation for the video goes, his intention was for his mistake to act as a stark reminder to others not to do the same.
“I can’t bring Mr. Canzani back, and I can’t erase what I’ve done, but you can still be saved, your victims can still be saved,” Cordle claims during the clip.
In addition, he confirmed that he intends to plead guilty to all charges once formally charged.
Before appearing on YouTube, Cordle’s video was first posted on another site dedicated to making promises. The owner of “Because I Said I Would” revealed that Cordle got in contact through Facebook following the video’s release.
“There are a lot of emotions and parties at play here, so we stay in touch as much as possible,” said the site’s owner Alex Sheen.
“Matt is doing as well as he can. He’s upset that people are calling his act of confession ‘courageous’ rather than focusing on the real issue: drinking and driving kills innocent people.”
Speaking with CNN earlier in the week, Cordle’s defence lawyer admitted that he had no idea about the video which would eventually go viral.
“The video he released is a testament to both his integrity and his character, and I know that he intends to fully cooperate throughout the tenancy of all these proceedings,” stated George Breitmayer.
