On Tuesday, the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office confirmed to Bustle that Chris Soules was arrested and charged for allegedly fleeing the scene of a fatal car crash, which took place on Monday, April 24 near Aurora, Iowa. Now, Soules has spoken out for the first time since his arrest. In a statement given to InTouch Weekly Wednesday, the 35-year-old 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."
UPDATE: A rep for Soules released the following statement to Bustle on May 3: "Neither Mr. Soules nor his legal counsel will be responding to the numerous tabloid style articles and journalists who have been reporting false and misleading stories by citing 'unnamed sources.' Rather, they will be focusing on presenting the truth, which will reveal how inaccurate and unfair so many of these news accounts have been. We are confident that the fair-minded citizens of Iowa will do what they’ve always done – reserve judgment until all of the accurate information is properly presented."
EARLIER: At the time of his arrest, Bustle reached out to Soules' rep for comment, but did not receive a response at the time of publication. On Tuesday, his lawyers released the following statement to Just Jared:
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 and with Mr. Mosher’s family.
On Wednesday, it was revealed through 911 audio sent to Bustle from the sheriff's office that despite Soules allegedly leaving the scene of the car crash, he called 911 after the accident. Bustle reached out to Soules' lawyers for comment on the 911 audio, but did not hear back at the time of publication.
On Tuesday morning, Soules was released from jail after his mother, Linda, posted his $10,000 bond, as reported by The Des Moines Register. He remains under supervision, cannot leave the state without consent, and is also required to wear an electronic ankle bracelet. According to the Associated Press, if convicted, Soules could face up to five years in prison. His preliminary hearing is set for May 2.
The Buchanan County Sheriff's released the following press release to Bustle on Tuesday:
On Monday, April 24, 2017 at approximately 8:20 pm, the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 report of a motor vehicle accident with injuries in the 1000 blk of Slater Avenue (W45) north ofAurora. According to the investigation, a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado operated by Christopher Douglas Soules, 35, of Arlington was southbound on Slater Avenue when he struck the rear of a southbound John Deere 2640 tractor operated by Kenneth Eugene Mosher, 66, of Aurora. The collision caused the tractor to go into the east ditch. Soules’ vehicle went into the west ditch. Mosher was transported to Mercy Hospital in Oelwein where he was pronounced dead. Soules was uninjured in the accident and left the scene of the accident prior to law enforcement arrival.
Soules was located shortly after at his residence located in the 7500 blk of B Avenue in near Arlington in Fayette County. He was subsequently arrested and transported to the Buchanan County Jail, where he was charged with Leaving the Scene of a Fatality Motor Vehicle Accident (class D felony). Soules bonded out of the Buchanan County Jail on a $10,000 bond on Tuesday morning, April 25, 2017.
No other information is being released at this time pending the continued investigation into the cause of the accident. Due to the on-going investigation, further charges may be pending. The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office was assisted in this incident by the Iowa State Patrol, Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, Aurora Fire Department and Oelwein Mercy Ambulance Service.
