Former Bachelor Chris Soules has found himself at the wrong side of the law after he was involved him a fatal car accident that led to his arrest. More details have emerged since the accident and it isn’t looking good! Here are 7 things to know about the deadly car accident and Soules’ arrest:
7. The Accident
According to the Iowa State Patrol, the former Bachelor’s Chevy pickup truck rear-ended a John Deere tractor-trailer at approximately 8:20 p.m. on Monday April 24, causing both vehicles to go into a ditch. The driver of the John Deere tractor-trailer, 66-year-old Kenneth Mosher, was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
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6. Left the Scene
After the accident, Soules called 911 and then left the scene. He reportedly called someone to pick him up and take him to his home in Arlington, Iowa. When sheriff deputies came to his house, he allegedly refused to come out, so had to get a search warrant, which took several hours. After this, they arrested him for leaving the scene of an accident.
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5. Container of Alcohol
Investigators reportedly found alcohol containers in Chris’ truck so, after he was arrested, the deputies took him to the hospital where they drew blood to determine whether drugs or alcohol were in his system. It’s unlikely that he will be charged with Operating While Intoxicated (Iowa’s term for a DUI) because they weren’t able to test him immediately after the crash.
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4. Charges
After he was arrested, Soules was booked in the Buchanan County Jail on a charge of leaving the scene of a fatal accident. This charge carries a penalty of up to five years in jail. He was released on Tuesday after posting his bail, which was set at $10,000. He is required to surrender his passport and wear an electronic monitoring bracelet until his trail. Since the crash remains under investigation, additional charges could be filed.
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3. He Knew the Victim
Chris and the victim, Kenneth Mosher, knew each other because they were neighbors. It’s a pretty small community. Everyone knows Chris and his family and there are rumors floating around that he had a reputation in the community for alcohol-related outbursts.
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2. Previous Arrests
This isn’t Soules’ first brush with the law. In 2001, he was caught driving with an open container of alcohol in his car. Then in 2002 he was hit with unlawful use of a license and with leaving the scene of an accident after running a stop sign. In 2005, he received a 60-day jail sentence, a 58-day suspended jail sentence, a fine of $500 and a year of probation for an OWI (operating while intoxicated). Between 2000 to 2012, he also racked up a number of traffic violations including speeding violations.
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1. Statement
Since his arrest, the former Bachelor released this statement: “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.” Many in his community, however, are looking for answers – mainly why he left the scene of the accident.