Chris Soules (photo courtesy of Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office).More details continue to emerge concerning the arrest of ethanol spokesman, TV star and Iowa farmer Chris Soules who law enforcement officials say caused the accidental death of a fellow Iowa farmer last week.
Soules, 35, was driving his 2008 Chevy Silverado on a rural road near Aurora, Iowa last Friday when he rear-ended a tractor and killed its driver, 66-year-old Iowa farmer and Vietnam War veteran Kenneth Mosher.
The impact left both vehicles in the ditch. Soules called 911 (recording below) to report the accident and at one point is heard telling the emergency dispatcher that Mosher had a pulse but was not breathing. Soules is then heard asking witnesses if anyone knows CPR.
Soules later asks the dispatcher if he can call her back and then hangs up when she agrees to the request. Witnesses say Soules then left the scene in another pickup driven by a person who has yet to be identified. That person may face charges for aiding Soules in leaving the scene of a deadly accident.
The scene from Friday’s deadly accident involving Chris Soules. (BCSO photo)Soules was later found at his home about ten miles away in Arlington. However, the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office said Soules refused to answer the door and instead referred officers to his attorney. Roughly four hours later Soules was served with a search warrant and arrested, according to the Associated Press. He was charged with fleeing the scene of a deadly accident, a felony that carries a maximum five-year prison sentence.
Soules has faced various alcohol-related charges in the past, including a DUI conviction in 2006. While alcohol was found on the scene of Friday’s accident, it’s not clear if it belonged to Soules.
If Soules had been driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident, any blood alcohol readings taken at the time of his arrest would not be accurate since his arrest occurred nearly five hours after the accident, according to the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office.
Chris Soules starred in this 2015 TV ad for pro-ethanol group Growth Energy.Investigators are also checking Soules’ cell phone records to determine if he had been using the device at the time of the accident.
Soules gained fame in 2015 for his starring role on ABC’s “The Bachelor.” He also appeared on the network’s popular show, “Dancing with the Stars.”
In 2015, Soules served as spokesman for pro-ethanol group, Growth Energy. He starred in an ad at that time promoting ethanol and other biofuels as the Obama administration was considering the proposed 2016 Renewable Fuel Standards.
Soules also appeared at both the Republican National Convention and the Democratic National Convention last summer where he advocated for ethanol and other renewable fuels.
