Chris Soules was arrested in Iowa earlier this week after a fatal car crash. Us Weekly rounded up everything we know so far about the tragedy that led to the death of the Bachelor alum’s neighbor, Kenneth Mosher.
The Accident
The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office says that Soules’ pickup truck rear-ended a tractor trailer on Monday, April 24, around 8:20 p.m. The crash caused both vehicles to land in a ditch.
The Aftermath
The 35-year-old corn farmer proceeded to call 911. In the audio obtained by Us Weekly, he can be heard telling the dispatcher that he was involved in an accident with a tractor and that the tractor driver was injured. The 911 operator asks if the victim is breathing and Soules replies, “I can’t tell. He doesn’t appear to be.” The dispatcher then asks if he knows how to perform CPR. “No, I don’t,” Soules says, before asking, “Anybody know how to do CPR?” It’s not clear who he was speaking to at the scene.
The victim, 66, was taken to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Soules also received medical care at some point after the accident.
The Arrest
After making the 911 call, Soules allegedly left before law enforcement arrived. He returned to his nearby hometown of Arlington, where he was arrested at 1:16 a.m. for allegedly leaving the scene of a fatal accident.
He was released on Tuesday, April 25, after posting a $10,000 bail. The reality star was not charged with driving under the influence; however, TMZ reported that Soules allegedly had alcoholic beverage containers in his possession at the time of the crash.
Soules Speaks Out
The Dancing With the Stars alum broke his silence on the incident in a statement to People on April 25. “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,” Soules’ spokesperson said. “His thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Mosher’s family.”
More Details Emerge
Soules was friendly with Mosher, the man who was killed in the accident, RadarOnline.com reported. “Everyone around here is in shock,” Richard Roepke, a relative of Mosher, told the site. “He knew them, they’re neighbors. We’re feeling very sad, everyone knows Chris’ family.”
Mosher’s wife also told Radar that she’s “not very well” after the tragedy.
Soules Deletes His Social Media Accounts
The season 19 Bachelor deleted his Instagram, Twitter and Facebook pages following the tragic incident. According to TMZ, law enforcement want to examine Soules’ cell phone, including texts, calls and photos, and his social media accounts to see if he was distracted while driving.
The Legal Consequences
The former Bachelorette contestant has been wearing an ankle monitor at his home since the arrest. “Chris has a location-monitoring device on his leg and had to surrender his passport,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly, adding that it was because he previously “had plans to leave the country” before the incident.
Soules is due in court for his first hearing on Tuesday, May 2, the insider told Us. “Chris hasn’t left his house yet,” the insider said. “His family has been by his side.”
Fellow Bachelor Franchise Stars Weigh in
Season 10 Bachelorette Andi Dorfman, who dated Soules on the ABC show, reacted to the tragic accident. “It’s all very sad,” she told Entertainment Tonight. “I haven’t talked to Chris yet, but, knowing him, I know that he is probably devastated. My thoughts go out to [Mosher] and his family, as well as the Soules family. You never want to hear that a friend has been involved in a horrific, life-altering tragedy like this. I’m just saddened for everyone involved.”
Whitney Bischoff, who was briefly engaged to Soules in 2015 after receiving the final rose on The Bachelor, also released a statement. “This is a very sad situation,” she said. “I’m keeping everyone in my thoughts and prayers, especially the victim and his family.”
His Legal Team
Soules retained Alfredo Parrish, Brandon Brown and Gina Messamer of the Des Moines, Iowa, law firm Parrish Kruidenier to represent him. His team released a statement to Us Weekly on Thursday, April 27: “Soules’ 911 call, released yesterday, proved that the initial knee-jerk coverage of this accident was incorrect.
“While initial reports suggested Soules fled the scene, the 911 call confirms that Soules in fact was the one who contacted law enforcement immediately. During the call, he clearly identified himself and explained his role in the terrible accident. Soules attempted to resuscitate Mr. Mosher and remained on the scene with him until emergency medical personnel arrived. Soules’ attorneys are exploring the possibility of a gag order to prevent further misinformation from prejudicing Soules’ right to a fair trial.
“Soules’ legal team is working to gather all of the evidence and review the facts of this tragic collision. They have already filed a demand asking law enforcement to preserve possible evidence and anticipate filing additional motions next week. His attorneys are confident that once all the evidence is made public, it will show Soules acted reasonably and did everything in his power to provide aid to Mr. Mosher.
“Due to the nature of the pending charges, neither Soules nor his counsel will be making any statements at this time. Soules and his family request that their privacy and the privacy of Mr. Mosher’s family is respected. Everyone in this close-knit farming community is mourning Mr. Mosher’s passing. Soules offers his sincere condolences to the Mosher family.”
The Buchanan County Sheriff told Us on Friday, April 28, that Soules was charged with a class D felony and his preliminary hearing is set for 1:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May 2.
Soules’ Lawyers File Motion to Dismiss
The TV personality’s Des Moines-based attorneys filed a motion to dismiss the felony charge on Monday, May 1. In the documents obtained by Us Weekly, the lawyers argue that Soules didn’t violate Iowa state law because he called for help after the crash. “A recording of a 911 phone call placed by Mr. Soules provides real-time evidence that Mr. Soules unhesitatingly identified himself and his role in the accident to dispatch and tried his utmost to resuscitate Mr. Mosher,” the documents say. “Mr. Soules described the location of the accident and communicated with dispatch for approximately 5 minutes and 45 seconds while help was en route. The evidence will further show that emergency responders arrived on the scene shortly after Mr. Soules concluded his 911 call.”
Soules’ Rep Says ‘The Truth’ Will Come Out
In a statement to Us on Wednesday, May 3, Soules’ rep said, “Neither Mr. Soules nor his legal counsel will be responding to the numerous tabloid style articles and journalists who have been reporting false and misleading stories by citing ‘unnamed sources.’ Rather, they will be focusing on presenting the truth, which will reveal how inaccurate and unfair so many of these news accounts have been. We are confident that the fair-minded citizens of Iowa will do what they’ve always done — reserve judgment until all of the accurate information is properly presented.”
The Arraignment
Soules’ arraignment date for his arrest in a fatal car crash has been scheduled for Tuesday, May 23, according to court documents obtained by Us. He is set to appear at Iowa’s Buchanan County Courthouse. According to the Associated Press, Judge Kellyann Lekar approved a charging document known as a “trial information” on Sunday, May 7, and scheduled Soules’ arraignment, which is expected to cancel a preliminary hearing set for Wednesday, May 10.
For more on Soules’ arrest, pick up the new issue of Us Weekly, on stands now.
