Crime & Safety

Ex-American Idol Contestant Accused Of DUI, Killing Man

Caleb Kennedy was arrested and charged with DUI resulting in death after police say he drove off the road and struck a man.

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Former "American Idol" contestant Caleb Kennedy is charged with driving under the influence resulting in a death after running off the road and striking a man Tuesday in Spartanburg County, police said.
Former "American Idol" contestant Caleb Kennedy is charged with driving under the influence resulting in a death after running off the road and striking a man Tuesday in Spartanburg County, police said. (Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office)

SPARTANBURG COUNTY, SC — Former "American Idol" contestant Caleb Kennedy is accused of driving drunk and killing a man in an off-road crash Tuesday in Spartanburg County, according to Spartanburg County Jail records.

The Roebuck, South Carolina, native is charged with DUI resulting in a death, according to jail records.

Kennedy, 17, is accused of veering off West Murph Road in the White Stone area and hitting a man, according to a report from ABC 4.

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Kennedy reached the top 5 in season 19 of "American Idol" before leaving the show last May after a Snapchat video surfaced of him sitting next to a friend dressed in a hood similar to those Ku Klux Klan members wore when he was 12 years old.

This story is being updated.

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