In the most stunning celebrity news story of the week, Chris Soules has been arrested for leaving the scene of a fatal car crash that left one individual dead.
As previously detailed, the Season 19 Bachelor was driving his pickup truck on Sunday night when he rear-ended a tractor on a road near his farm in Iowa.
Soules dialed 911 and reported that a man had been thrown out of the tractor and was now lying in a ditch, bleeding from the mouth…
… but then he drove away and refused to let police officers into his home until they obtained a search warrant.
Several hours after he crashed into 68-year old Kenneth Mosher and killed him, Soules was finally taken into custody and charged with the aforementioned crime.
Authorities say cans of beer were found in Soules’ car, although it’s probable that too many hours elapsed between the time of the accident and the time of his blood test for the latter to turn up positive for alcohol.
Still, pending an investigation, Soules may also be charged with involuntary manslaughter at some point.
For now, he’s free on $ 10,000 bond.
This incident, of course, is as serious as it gets; through his actions, whether by complete accident or whether his judgment was impaired in some way, Chris Soules took a life.
However, if you watch The Bachelor online and/or have followed Soules’ reality TV career ever since his days as a contestant on Andy Dorfman’s season of The Bachelorette, you’re likely aware that Soules has frequently run afoul of the law.
There’s nothing in his past this severe.
But there’s enough on record that could impact how this case is handled going forward.
Let’s take a look at all Soules has allegedly done, shall we?
In 2001, he was charged on two separate occasions for being a minor in possession of alcohol.
In January of 2002, he was cited for unlawful use of a license.
Later in 2002, he was charged with leaving the scene of an accident after running a stop sign. (NOTE: this incident was eventually amended from leaving the scene due to defective brakes.)
In 2005, he was charged with Operating While Intoxicated (Iowa’s term for DUI), after which he was fined $ 500; given a 60-day jail sentence; a 58-day suspended jail sentence; and a year of probation.
Moreover, between the years of 2000 and 2012, Soules received a total of seven speeding violations.
On their own, of course, none of these arrests or run-ins with the law are all that serious.
But that’s a pretty long list for one individual to have accumulated, let alone one individual whose history of driving, drinking and irresponsibility may have finally caught up with him.
In deadly fashion.
E! News spoke to legal expert Troy Slaten to determine what sort of legal ramifications Soules could face in light of his latest charges and his lengthy criminal record.
“What it looks like right now, he is facing what is called a Class D felony, which is leaving the scene of an accident causing death,” Slaten says.
“Leaving the scene of an accident causing death is, in and of itself, a felony.”
What if tests do come back that show Soules was over the legal drinking limit? What if his blood-alcohol content is above .08?
“When somebody has a prior conviction for DUI, that can mean a couple of things,” Slaten explains, going into detail as follows:
“It can change a case of vehicular homicide or vehicular manslaughter into murder, and here’s why: Normally when we talk about murder, there has to be some sort of malice or evil intent.
“Getting in an accident is usually not evil… but when somebody has been convicted of DUI [in the past], they’re under a greater understanding of the dangers of drinking and driving because [they’ve] been through DUI classes and special alcohol education.”
Makes sense, right?
And it’s hard to argue with the logic behind these guidelines, no?
The Iowa State Patrol is looking into whether alcohol played a role in the fatal crash.
If so, prosecutors may cite “malice” due to Soules’ perceived knowledge of what happens when you drink and drive.
They could say Soules showed an “indifference to human life” by once again getting behind the wheel after imbibing, according to Slaten, would could result in a MURDER charge.
Soules was arraigned (see photo above) on Tuesday, which confirms he’s facing criminal charges.
He also could face civil liability on behalf on the victim’s family.
Mosher was a father of two and is also a grandfather.
Sources say these relatives do not blame Soules for what happened, but that opinion could change if they learn alcohol was in his system.
For now, Soules has simply issued a very straightforward statement through his spokesman. It reads:
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.
