A rustic music singer who was a finalist on TV’s “American Idol” is accused of barreling into a person along with his pickup and working over him in what his lawyer referred to as a horrible accident.
Caleb Andrew Kennedy, 17, faces as much as 25 years in jail if convicted of driving underneath the affect leading to dying, South Carolina authorities mentioned Wednesday.
Kennedy drove the truck onto a non-public driveway in Spartanburg County on Tuesday afternoon, placing a person who lived on the property, in accordance with Grasp Trooper Mitchell Ridgeway of the South Carolina Freeway Patrol.
Larry Duane Parris, 54, was hit as he stood simply outdoors his store the place he fixes boats, authorities mentioned. The impression of the crash drove Parris contained in the store, the place he was discovered by his daughter, Solicitor Barry Barnette mentioned at a Wednesday court docket listening to.
Kennedy “actually ran over prime of him,” Barnette mentioned.
In a 911 name, Parris’ daughter may be heard screaming for assist, and Kennedy may be heard on the tape saying he was sorry as he held the dying man contained in the store, the solicitor mentioned. Parris was later pronounced useless at a hospital.
“He was holding the sufferer in his arms when the police bought there,” his lawyer, Ryan Beasley, instructed The Related Press. “I can’t let you know how sorry he’s.”
“This was clearly a horrible, horrible accident,” Beasley mentioned. Kennedy, a highschool junior, “by all indications is a good pupil, by no means been in bother.”
Kennedy instructed deputies that he had visited a buddy earlier than the crash, and took “a deep draw” from a vaping machine after which felt the impacts of it whereas he was driving, Barnette mentioned.
Kennedy was additionally on prescription medicine, and “we predict there might have been a foul response to that,” his lawyer mentioned, including that this proof will come out ultimately. No alcohol was concerned, Beasley instructed AP.
Kennedy cooperated totally with authorities, which is why they know concerning the vape machine and what occurred within the time main as much as the crash, Beasley mentioned. Prosecutors haven’t mentioned what they assume might need been within the machine.
“I feel it was a foul response to a prescribed medicine,” Beasley mentioned.
Eric McCandless by way of Getty Pictures
Kennedy is being charged as an grownup with the crime, which is a felony, the prosecutor’s workplace mentioned. The choose denied bond for Kennedy. Beasley mentioned he deliberate to request bond for his consumer at a court docket listening to later this month.
Kennedy superior into the Prime 5 of the ABC expertise present final 12 months, however dropped out of the singing competitors after a video circulated of him sitting subsequent to somebody sporting what seemed to be a Ku Klux Klan hood.
On Twitter and Instagram, Kennedy apologized on the time for the video, saying “it displayed actions that weren’t meant to be taken in that method.”
Kennedy’s mom, Anita Man, instructed information retailers that the video was filmed when Kennedy was 12 and had been taken out of context. She mentioned Kennedy had been imitating characters from the movie “The Strangers: Prey at Night time.”
Kennedy’s hometown is listed as Roebuck, which is simply south of Spartanburg.
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