Bachelor star Chris Soules speaks to the media for the first time since being arrested for his involvement in a fatal accident that claimed the life of fellow farmer Kenneth Mosher.
“My family and I are overwhelmed with this tragedy, but we are sticking together and we’ll get through it,” the 35-year-old Iowa native tells In Touch exclusively. “Thank you for reaching out.”
Iowa farmer Chris Soules, who is a former star on ABC’s “The Bachelor” who charmed reality TV viewers with his life in a small town Iowa, was arrested this week after police said he fled a crash that killed a fellow farmer.
Soules, 35, was charged with leaving the scene of a fatal crash, a class D felony, and could face up to five years in prison if he is convicted.
The case has garnered the attention of Soules’ “Bachelor” fans as well as residents of Arlington, Iowa, where he lives, who had come to appreciate the reality TV star’s work as an unofficial Iowa ambassador and farm industry advocate.
Soules, who also appeared in “Dancing with the Stars” and “Worst Chefs in America,” called 911 at 8:20 p.m. Monday evening to report that he had rear-ended a tractor on a rural road north of the tiny town of Aurora, about 6 miles away from his home.
The tractor veered into a ditch after being struck by his 2008 Chevrolet Silverado, Soules said.
The tractor driver who was later identified as 66-year-old Kenneth Mosher, a Vietnam War veteran was unconscious and not breathing, Soules told the 911 operator, according to audio obtained by local media. The man had a pulse, but there was blood around his mouth, Soules said.
Soules identified himself on the call, which lasted nearly six minutes, and sounded frantic. Between heavy breathing, he answered the dispatcher’s questions and took instructions. Soules told the 911 operator he did not know how to perform CPR and could be heard asking unidentified people at the scene if they could perform the lifesaving measure.
The called ended abruptly after the operator told Soules law enforcement and medical first responders were on the way.
“Can I, can I call you back really quick?” Soules asked the dispatcher.
“Yeah, you can call me back,” she says.
“Thank you,” Soules responds.
Soules left the crash site after emergency responders arrived, but before deputies with the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office were on the scene, according to authorities. Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Scott Bright told the Des Moines Register that Soules fled the scene on foot and later got into a truck. In police audio obtained by local media, a deputy told a dispatcher that Soules “took off” in a red truck.
Authorities are trying to identify who picked up Soules in the truck, Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Wolfgram told the Associated Press. That person could face charges, he said.
Soules was arrested about five hours after the incident and booked into the Buchanan County Jail, the Associated Press reported. He posted a $10,000 bond Tuesday morning and was released on the condition that he surrender his passport and wear an electronic monitor.
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