‘Bachelor’ Chris Soules Breaks Silence, Attorney’s Say He Did Not Flee Scene Of Accident

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The news of former Bachelor Chris Soules being arrested on felony charges of fleeing the scene of a deadly accident spread like wildfire. There has been much confusion about the accident Chris was involved in and many fans are wondering how such a sincere, genuine man could be responsible for such a horrific tragedy. Amid the chaos and criticism Chris is receiving as a result of the crash, Soules has closed all his social media accounts and remained silent until now.

Chris was arrested April 24 for allegedly leaving the scene of a fatal accident in which Soules rear-ended a tractor, driven by 66-year-old Kenneth Mosher, on a rural road in Aurora, Iowa. People shared the original statement released by Soules reps which said, “Chris Soules was involved in an accident Monday evening (April 24) in a rural part of Iowa near his home. He was devastated to learn that Kenneth Mosher, the other person in the accident, passed away. His thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Mosher’s family.”

Chris allegedly left the scene of the accident after calling 911 to report the accident and also provided aid to Mosher. The 911 call was released in which it’s clear that an obviously upset Chris identified himself and said he had rear-ended the tractor. The dispatcher asked Chris if he knew CPR and to check for a pulse. Soules reported a pulse to the dispatcher and according to further reports did try to perform CPR per the 911 operator’s instructions. Towards the end of the call, Chris asks if he can call the dispatcher back and hangs up. Mosher was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Entertainment Tonight shared information received from a source that Chris stayed on scene until paramedics arrived to assist Mosher. A source claims it was a relative who took a shocked Chris home at that time. Authorities have not confirmed if they know the identity of the person who assisted Chris to get home. The source also revealed that Soules was not drunk at the time of the crash. They shared it was not even Chris’ everyday truck that he was driving. Reportedly, there were open alcoholic beverage containers in the truck, but Chris has not been charged with any alcohol related crimes.

Since being ordered to turn in his passport and being released on $10,000 bond, Chris has closed his social media accounts but has finally made a statement. Soules spoke with In Touch Weekly and said, “My family and I are overwhelmed with this tragedy, but we are sticking together and we’ll get through it. Thank you for reaching out.”

Chris has hired a high-powered legal team from Des Moines, Iowa. The attorneys are Alfredo Parrish, Brandon Brown, and Gina Messamer with the law firm Parrish Kruidenie. The legal team believes Chris acted reasonably and did not flee the scene. Us Weekly shared a statement released by Soules attorney’s which said the following.

“Soules’ 911 call, released yesterday, proved that the initial knee-jerk coverage of this accident was incorrect. While initial reports suggested Soules fled the scene, the 911 call confirms that Soules in fact was the one who contacted law enforcement immediately. During the call, he clearly identified himself and explained his role in the terrible accident. Soules attempted to resuscitate Mr. Mosher and remained on the scene with him until emergency medical personnel arrived.”

The statement provided by the legal team for Soules continued by saying, “His attorneys are confident that once all the evidence is made public, it will show Soules acted reasonably and did everything in his power to provide aid to Mr. Mosher. Due to the nature of the pending charges, neither Soules nor his counsel will be making any statements at this time. Soules and his family request that their privacy and the privacy of Mr. Mosher’s family is respected. Everyone in this close-knit farming community is mourning Mr. Mosher’s passing. Soules offers his sincere condolences to the Mosher family.”

Us Weekly has also shared fellow Bachelor alum Luke Pell speaking out on Soules behalf. Luke said, “Foremost, my thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the man that was killed in this tragic accident involving Chris. Chris and I have become friends over the past year and I hate to see a friend going through such an unfortunate circumstance. From my time knowing Chris, he’s proven to be a genuine, sincere guy that cares about people. Saddened by this whole situation, I have hope for the future that something positive will eventually come of this terrible tragedy.”

Thirty-five-year-old Soules became popular during his time on The Bachelorette and was then offered the leading role of The Bachelor for the 2015 season. Soules got engaged to nurse Whitney Bischoff during the season finale, but the two broke up not too long after the show ended. It was rumored that Soules was set to appear on the upcoming season of Bachelor in Paradise. That may not be a possibility at this point with the pending charges against Chris. Soules is scheduled for another court date on May 2.

[Featured Image by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for The Kevin Carter Foundation]