A family member of the victim killed in a car crash on Monday night is coming to Chris Soules' defense, calling the tragedy that killed 66-year-old Kenneth Mosher a "freak accident" and a "huge mistake." Robert Roepke, the father of the victim's daughter-in-law, spoke to People about the former Bachelor star, who was charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident after rear-ending a John Deere tractor near his hometown in Iowa.
“I believe it was a very tragic, sad accident that took the life of a guy that was just coming home from work,” Roepke told People. “This is corn planting time, the best time of the year for a farmer. Kenny was working on one of the farms just a little north of Aurora and I think he was just coming home. For Chris, what happened was just a freak accident.” According to court documents obtained by People, there were empty bottles of alcohol found at the scene, though Soules, who was charged with a DUI in 2005, has not been charged with drunk-driving.
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“Chris comes from a good family and is still well-vested in farming. He’s got a great life ahead of him,” Roepke continued. “This is a serious bump in the road and I don’t know about his [alleged] alcohol issue but I just know that this was a huge mistake. It’s something he’s going to have to deal with for the rest of his life." He added, "It just ended very tragically.”
Also coming to the defense of the 35-year-old, who has deleted his Instagram, is former Bachelor contestant and close friend Luke Pell. "I've gotten to know Chris and he's just a great guy that loves people who is very sincere and genuine," he told E! News. "That's what hooks me is that, man, I just hate to hear that such a great person is having to go through a struggle like this." He added, "It's tough and super unfortunate and [I'm] just sad that it happened."
Soules, who was arraigned in court on Tuesday, was released on a $10,000 bail. The official cause of the accident is still being investigated by police.