Chris Soules, who became famous in the reality TV series The Bachelor, was arrested following a deadly car crash, Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.
The Iowa State Patrol told E! News that Soules was driving a Chevy pickup truck that rear-ended Kenneth Mosher’s tractor trailer on Monday evening at 8:20 p.m., causing both vehicles to ditch, where they were found when the police arrived. The former Bachelor left the scene prior to the arrival of law enforcement, and was later arrested 15 miles away at his Arlington home. Mosher was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Soules appeared in court early Tuesday morning where he was charged with leaving the scene of a deadly car accident. He was released after posting $10,000 bail and the cause of the accident is still under investigation, according to authorities.
Soules’ attorney released a statement, which read, “Chris Soules was involved in an accident Monday evening (April 24) in a rural part of Iowa near his home. He was devastated to learn that Kenneth Mosher, the other person in the accident, passed away. His thoughts and prayers and with Mr. Mosher’s family.”
Buchanan Sheriff’s Department is still investigating whether or not the reality star was intoxicated at the time of the accident.
According to E! News, Soules was arrested in 2005 for Operating While Intoxicated (Iowa’s version of DUI) after which he was penalized $500, given a 60-day jail sentence, a 58-day suspended jail sentence and a year of probation. Prior to that, he was charged on two separate occasions in possession of alcohol. Also, he has an extensive history of speeding and traffic violations dating back to 1998.
Legal expert Troy Slaten shared to E! News that Soules’ criminal record will have an important factor into further possible charges brought against him.
“When somebody has a prior conviction for DUI, that can mean a couple of things,” Slaten said. “It can change a case of vehicular homicide or vehicular manslaughter into murder, and here’s why… Getting in an accident is usually not evil—an accident is an accident—but when somebody has been convicted of DUI [in the past], they’re under a greater understanding of the dangers of drinking and driving because [they’ve] been through DUI classes and special alcohol education.”
Mosher’s neighbour, Richard Roepke, told E! News that the TV star and the victim know each other.
“They both know each other,” he shared. “[The Moshers’] know the Soules’… They are both long-term farmers with their roots here in Buchanan and Fayette County so that’s what makes it even more difficult is that they are over the fence neighbors.”
“He’s just a regular family guy and a farmer,” he said about Mosher. “That’s what he loves to do, he’s a farmer. His grand-kids come right behind it. He was just coming home from work.”
“Chris’ life is changed forever as well, but at least he pulled the trigger,” Roepke added. “Mr. Mosher was an innocent person in the whole ordeal so I really think that makes it more difficult when it happens so quickly.”
