Chris Soules has been allowed to remove an ankle monitor he was ordered to wear after being charged with leaving the scene of a fatal crash in April.
The former Bachelor star, 36, appeared in court in Independence, Iowa, on Monday, November 27, after filing a motion to dismiss the felony charge.
KCRG reports that Soules’ lawyers played 911 audio during the two-hour hearing of the reality star calling for help after his pick-up truck hit a tractor, killing the driver, Kenneth Mosher, 66.
They argued that the farmer did all that was legally required of him by calling for help and waiting for paramedics to arrive to help Mosher.
“He then did the morally and legally responsible thing by staying on the scene and remaining on the scene of the accident until emergency governmental authorities arrived,” attorney Robert Montgomery told the judge, adding that Iowa code does not specify that Soules specifically needed to wait at the scene of the accident to talk with law enforcement officers before going home.
Prosecutors claim that Soules left after just 14 minutes, not giving officers enough time to investigate the accident properly. He was arrested at his home hours after the accident and law enforcement officials reportedly found alcohol containers in Soules’ truck after the crash, although blood and urine tests were negative for drugs and alcohol.
KCCI reports that the judge will have a decision on the request to dismiss the charge by 10 a.m. on Tuesday, November 28.
Soules’ attorney Alfredo Parris told KCRG that the former Dancing With the Stars contestant remains upset over the accident.
“It’s tragic, it’s his neighbor,” Parris said. “He’s still quite distressed by the whole matter and obviously facing charges as a result where he tried to comply with everything that was necessary under the law, all that is a very distressful situation for any citizen.”
After the hearing on Monday, the judge granted Soules’ request to remove his ankle monitoring bracelet.