As reported by the Chicago Sun-Times, former Bachelor star Chris Soules was arrested today in Iowa after allegedly fleeing the scene of a deadly car crash. Soules was The Bachelor on season 19 of the show, where the Sun-Times story notes that he was “portrayed as a wholesome country boy.” The crash happened at some point on Monday night, with “multiple witnesses” confirming that Soules’ truck rear-ended a tractor, sending both vehicles into ditches on opposite sides of the road. The witnesses say that Soules then left the scene, and an unidentified person called 911 to report the crash. The driver of the tractor, 66-year-old Kenneth Mosher, was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.
The police reportedly found alcohol at the scene of the crash, and though it’s unclear where it came from, the Sun-Times also points out that Soules was convicted of operating a vehicle while intoxicated in 2006. He was arrested early this morning and is now out on a $10,000 bond, but has to wear an ankle monitor until his trial.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Soules had “not been cooperative” with police before he was arrested, and a representative has released a statement since then saying that Soules “was devastated to learn that Kenneth Mosher, the other person in the accident, passed away.” As you may notice, that statement makes a point to absolve Soules of any responsibility, and though that’s exactly what a lawyer would probably want him to do, it also comes across as gross and dismissive of the man’s death.
Soules’ preliminary hearing is set for May 2, and he’s facing up to five years in prison.