Caleb Kennedy, a former American Idol finalist, has been arrested in the death of a South Carolina man.
ABC affiliate WCIV reports that the 17-year-old is charged with a felony DUI for driving under the influence in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, when he veered off the road and onto private property. Police say Caleb collided with a building and his vehicle struck a man, who later died of his injuries.
The victim has since been identified as Larry Duane Parris, 54, according to reports from WYFF.
Kennedy was also taken to the hospital, and was arrested Tuesday. Further details on the incident are pending.
Caleb was once considered a front runner on American Idol when he competed during the 2021 season, making it into the top five, but he abruptly left the show after an old Snapchat photo surfaced that depicted him in a negative light.
As previously reported, the footage showed Caleb, who was 12 at the time, sitting next to a friend who was wearing what appeared to be a Ku Klux Klan hood. Caleb said in a statement that the picture “displayed actions that were not meant to be taken in that way.”
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