Former "American Idol" contestant Caleb Kennedy has been charged with felony driving under the influence after a man was killed while inside a garage in Pacolet, South Carolina.
South Carolina Highway Patrol Master Trooper Mitchell Ridgeway said the collision occurred at about 12:42 p.m. Tuesday when a car driven by Kennedy, 17, left West Murph Road onto a driveway and plowed into the building.
The person inside the building was identified as 54-year-old Larry Duane Parris, who died at Spartanburg Regional Hospital.
Kennedy was driving a 2011 Ford pickup and was taken to the Spartanburg Regional. He was jailed upon release from the hospital Tuesday afternoon.
Kennedy's bond hearing is set for Wednesday.
Kennedy, a Roebuck, South Carolina, native and one of the final few contestants on "Idol" in 2021, left the show May 12 after he told producers about a video that showed him sitting with someone dressed in what appeared to be a Ku Klux Klan hood.
The video was circulated at his school, Dorman High School, and made its way onto social media.
Kennedy's mother said at the time the video was made when her son was 12. The hood was intended to look like one from the movie "The Strangers," she said. She believed it was leaked by someone jealous of her son's success.
Kennedy has been performing in local shows around the Upstate and Midlands since he left 'Idol.'
When Kennedy announced on Instagram he was leaving the show, he said the video "displayed actions that were not meant to be taken in that way. I was younger and did not think about the actions, but that's not an excuse."
He said he knew he hurt and disappointed many people and lost their respect. "I'm so sorry! I pray that I can one day regain your trust in who I am and have your respect!" he said. He said he was taking time away from social media "to better myself."
Kennedy earned praise for his songwriting talent, even after he left the show, from 'Idol" judges Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan and Katy Perry.
His song, "Nowhere" was No. 4 on the iTunes music chart in March and he was named one of the best songwriters of 2021 season.
Richie said, "You have a storyteller's voice," and later added, "I have great expectations for your life."
