Former American Idol contestant Caleb Kennedy has been charged with felony DUI after he allegedly drove his automobile right into a constructing in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, killing one particular person.
Kennedy, 17, was arrested by South Carolina Freeway Patrol (SCHP) officers simply after 12 p.m. ET after he allegedly ran off of the highway whereas driving a 2011 Ford pickup truck and careened into a personal driveway. It was then that he drove into the workshop of a close-by constructing, putting and killing a person who was working inside, in response to data despatched by the SCHP to Newsweek.
The deceased sufferer was recognized by the Spartanburg County Coroner's Workplace as 54-year-old Larry Duane Parris.
It's unknown if another automobiles have been concerned within the accident, though the SCHP has not but recognized any additional victims. It has additionally not been introduced whether or not Kennedy was drunk or a special substance.
He was formally charged with felony DUI leading to loss of life. As a 17-year-old, he's eligible to be tried as an grownup within the state of South Carolina.
A public data officer for the SCHP informed Newsweek that no additional data can be launched whereas the crash stays below investigation.
A court docket date for Kennedy has not been introduced.
Kennedy, who's a resident of Roebuck, South Carolina, was beforehand a contestant on the smash-hit singing competitors American Idol, making it to the highest 5 on the ABC present in 2021.
Nonetheless, Kennedy left the competitors after a social media put up on Snapchat confirmed him sitting subsequent to somebody showing to put on a Ku Klux Klan gown. In an announcement from his household, Kennedy stated that the video had been recorded when he was solely 12 years outdated.
Kennedy's mom, Anita Man, additionally claimed that the robes in query weren't meant to signify the Ku Klux Klan. Relatively, Man stated, her son was imitating characters from the 2018 film The Strangers: Prey at Night time, which does reportedly characteristic attackers with white masks.
Within the aftermath of the social media put up, nevertheless, Kennedy introduced that he wouldn't proceed on in his American Idol journey.
"Hey y'all, that is gonna be a little bit of a shock however I'm now not gonna be on American Idol," Kennedy wrote in an Instagram put up saying his departure. "There was a video that surfaced on the web and it displayed actions that weren't meant to be taken in that method."
"I used to be youthful and didn't take into consideration the actions, however that is not an excuse," Kennedy continued. "I wanna make an apology to all my followers and everybody who I've let down. I will be taking a little bit break day social media to higher myself, however saying that, I do know this has harm and disillusioned lots of people and made individuals lose respect for me."
"I am so sorry! I pray that I can in the future regain your belief in who I'm and have your respect! Thanks for supporting me," Kennedy added.
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