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American Idol finalist Caleb Kennedy was arrested on February 8 for felony DUI. Police said that he crashed his car into a building which killed someone inside.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol told TMZ that the singer was behind the wheel of a 2011 Ford pickup truck when it struck a building on a private drive. An individual inside the building suffered severe injuries from the collision.
Kennedy was arrested and charged with felony DUI leading to death and is still in police custody. Pictures from the crash site revealed a truck lodging itself in something that looked like a detached garage.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol stated that the crash is currently under investigation. The incident occurred around 12.41 pm on a private road in Spartanburg County.
Ridgeway reported that the vehicle’s driver was transported to Spartanburg Medical Center, and another person inside the building died from his injuries.
Reasons behind Caleb Kennedy’s exit from American Idol
Caleb Kennedy, 17, started his journey on American Idol in September 2020. Although he made it to the top five, he had to leave the show after a controversial social media post went viral.
In a Snapchat post, he appeared beside someone wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood. While speaking to the Spartanburg Herald-Journal in June 2021, Caleb said:
“Now that I’m home, I try to be me, but I’m also scared of someone videoing me when I go to Academy or Walmart. You have to worry about things like that now.”
Speaking about his journey on American Idol, Kennedy said that he underestimated the pressures of performing on such a popular show. He said that people think it would be a lot of fun but turns out to be the opposite.
The artist mentioned that he did not have any regrets despite the challenges, saying he loved it.
In May 2021, audiences were shocked when Caleb went missing from the show. However, host Ryan Seacrest responded to the situation and said that Kennedy would not be continuing in the competition.
Speaking about the controversy, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan said in a virtual Q&A that as judges, they love the contestants and get emotionally involved. Bryan stated that they wished nothing but the best for Caleb.
Richie said the controversy could prove to be a learning experience for Kennedy. He said:
“We grow up, and we make mistakes, and we look at our lives behind us many, many times, and we say, ‘God, what was I thinking about when I did that? This is one of those situations.”
Kennedy apologized through Instagram on May 12, 2021, saying that he would no longer be on American Idol. His family told the Herald-Journal that the video was recorded when he was 12.
Caleb’s mother, Anita Guy, said the video was recorded after Caleb watched the movie The Strangers: Prey at Night and was imitating the characters.
