American Idol contestant Caleb Kennedy was arrested and charged with felony DUI yesterday following an accident that left one person dead.
Caleb — who was a finalist on the show last season — is alleged to have crashed his car into a workshop behind a home just after midday.
According to police, there was one person inside the building who sustained fatal injuries as a result of the collision.
The Spartanburg County Coroner’s Office identified him as 54-year-old Larry Duane Parris.
Caleb Kennedy arrested for felony DUI
Caleb Kennedy, 17, is in police custody and because there was a death he could reportedly be charged as an adult.
TMZ shared photos that showed a truck crashed into a workshop in Spartanburg County, South Carolina.
The accident happened on Tuesday afternoon at 12:33 p.m., where police said a 2011 Ford truck was going north and then traveled onto a private drive and hit the building.
Kennedy was taken to hospital but reportedly only suffered minor injuries. The charges were felony driving under the influence resulting in death.
In South Carolina, the penalties for felony DUI include a mandatory fine of $10,100 to $25,100 ($52,244.50 with assessments and surcharges) and imprisonment from one to 25 years when death occurs.
Who is Caleb Kennedy from American Idol?
Caleb Kennedy was a controversial contestant on American Idol last season.
He made it to the Top 5 before voluntarily dropping out. This happened because Caleb appeared in a Snapchat photo next to someone wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood.
“Hey y’all, this is gonna be a bit of a surprise, but I am no longer gonna be on American Idol,” Kennedy revealed on his Instagram.
“There was a video that surfaced on the internet and it displayed actions that were not meant to be taken in that way. I was younger and did not think about the actions, but that’s not an excuse.”
“I wanna say sorry to all my fans and everyone who I have let down. I’ll be taking a little time off social media to better myself, but saying that, I know this has hurt and disappointed a lot of people and made people lose respect for me. I’m so sorry! I pray that I can one day regain your trust in who I am and have your respect! Thank you for supporting me.”
Despite leaving American Idol early, Caleb was still trying to get his music career going. His last Instagram post came at the end of 2021.
At the time, he announced he was performing in a concert with The Piedmont Boys and Dirty Grass Soul.