Country singer and former American Idol contestant Caleb Kennedy has been sentenced to prison on a DUI charge in connection with a car crash that killed a South Carolina man nearly three years ago.
Kennedy, 20, pleaded guilty to a charge of felony driving under the influence where death results on Monday, according to a representative from the 7th Circuit Solicitor’s office in Spartanburg County, S.C. Kennedy’s plea occurred before the case went to trial.
He was sentenced to 25 years in prison and a $25,100 fine, but the sentence was reduced to eight years in prison and a $15,100 fine. Kennedy will also face five years of probation and be subject to random drug testing and mental health counseling.
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According to the Greenville News, warrants stated that Kennedy was under the influence of marijuana via a vape pen while driving to his girlfriend’s house at the time of the fatal crash, which occurred Feb. 8, 2022. He reportedly drove his Ford pickup into a garage, striking 54-year-old Larry Duane Parris, who was pronounced dead at a hospital three hours later.
“This case shows the dangers of vape pens to society,” solicitor Barry J. Barnette, who prosecuted the case, said in a statement provided to Entertainment Weekly on Thursday.
Kennedy’s attorney, Ryan Beasley, told EW on Friday that his client “again wants to express his heartfelt sympathies to the Parris family.” He added, “Caleb fully accepts his responsibility for this accident and hopes for healing for everyone affected by this tragedy.”
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Kennedy rose to fame in 2021, on season 19 of American Idol, where he made it to the final five contestants. But he withdrew from the show due to a social media controversy after a video resurfaced showing him in a hood that many thought resembled a Ku Klux Klan robe.
The singer acknowledged the video in an Instagram post announcing his departure from Idol. “There was a video that surfaced on the internet and it 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 wrote. “I wanna say I’m sorry to all my fans and everyone who I have let down. I’ll be taking a little time off social media to better myself, but saying that, I know this has hurt and disappointed a lot of people and made people lose respect for me. I’m so sorry! I pray that I can one day regain your trust in who I am and have your respect! Thank you for supporting me.”
