American Idol's Caleb Kennedy faces court over car crash death as victim's family give emotional testimony

AMERICAN Idol star Caleb Kennedy has come face to face with the family of the man he allegedly killed in a car accident.

The 17-year-old star who crashed into a building earlier this month, killing victim Larry Parris, 54, heard from the man's family at his second bond hearing on Thursday.

After meeting up with a friend at a local Walmart in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Caleb ended up driving down a 175-foot private driveway occupied by only two homes before crashing into the victim.

After Caleb was arrested for the fatal DUI crash, he had his first magistrate court hearing a week later after being held in the Spartanburg County Detention Center but was denied bond.

On Thursday the singer faced court again with Larry's daughter Kesli and wife Donna giving emotional testimony, where they asked the judged to deny Caleb's bond again.

"I see my daddy laying in his own shop, moaning and groaning, with a stranger not even calling 911," Kelsi told the court with her mother by her, according to The State.

"He killed my dad, point-blank. I wish I could pay a little bit of money or a lot of money to have my daddy back."

She added: "I hear my screams begging for him to look at me and stay awake," local news station WYFF reported.

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"I hear the firefighters cutting the door to get in there to him. I hear the surgeon telling us he's not going to survive.

"If I have to relive that every day for the rest of my life, please explain to me how he even has the opportunity to see the light of day ever again.

"Him! He did this! He should have to sit there. We request that bond be denied."

The judge ruled to deny Caleb's bond again saying the court was waiting for his toxicity report before he can make a decision, according to news outlet WSPA.

Caleb's attorney, Ryan Beasley, slammed the ruling.

"He just barely turned 17 judge," the lawyer told the court.

"This could be months and months before we could get back in court and there are much more egregious cases than this on a felony DUI that are given bond.

"It is unfair to this kid to be sitting in jail for months on a backlog with [State Law Enforcement Division] and the fact that a magistrate judge down in jail didn't do his job anyway and set a bond.

"I am just sorry judge, but I am standing up and saying a bond should be set today."

The police report obtained exclusively by The Sun alleged the horrifying details of the fatal crash, as Larry "had broken legs and couldn't breathe" after Caleb ran him over.

On Tuesday, February 8 at around 12:30 PM, victim Larry Parris' daughter called 911 to report her father had been hit by a car before it crashed into his work building.

Caleb drove down a private drive, which included the property of the Parris' home.

Larry was outside and was pushed into the building upon impact during the shocking crash.

According to details from the 911 call obtained by The Sun, Larry's daughter reported the "truck just ran off the road and went through her dad's shop."

The report read she was "hysterical and said her dad was working when the truck went through it."

The call continued: “Male is saying he can’t breathe and both legs appear to be broke, he is holding his shoulder.” 

The car was "not on top of him" although the vehicle did "run him completely over."

The father-of-one was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Caleb was a contestant on American Idol in 2020, but was dismissed mid-season after a video emerged of him posing with a friend in a Ku Klux Klan-style white hood.

While his mother Anita Guy explained the footage was from when her son was 12-years-old, the singer told his social media followers that the video "displayed actions that were not meant to be taken in that way."

The former fan-favorite later admitted he was unprepared for life in the limelight.

On appearing on American Idol, he told Spartanburg Herald Journal: "You think it's all going to be fun, and a lot of it is, but it will slap you in the face really quickly. I wasn't ready for it."

Caleb added: "There's no way to emotionally prepare for Idol. Because no one is ready for it, no matter how you prepare."




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