'The Bachelor's' Chris Soules Agrees to Pay $2.5 Million to Man's Family After Fatal Car Crash: Report
Chris Soules has reportedly agreed to pay $2.5 million to a farmer’s family after the man died following a car crash involving the reality star.
As part of the settlement of a civil lawsuit from January 2019 against Soules for wrongful death, which was obtained by We Are Iowa, the Bachelor alum, 37, and his parents, Gary and Linda Soules, have agreed to pay the hefty sum to the loved ones of 66-year-old war veteran Kenneth Mosher.
“For the total consideration of $2,500,000.00, Nancy Mosher, Matthew Mosher, Michael Mosher, and the Estate of Kenneth Mosher (‘claimaints’) hereby release and forever discharge Christopher Soules, Gary Soules, Linda Soules … from any and all liability whatsoever … arising out of an automobile accident that occurred on April 24, 2017,” the agreement reads, according to the outlet.
Court records obtained by the outlet also show that Mosher’s Aurora estate was worth over $3 million — over $2 million from his family’s residence and 400+ acres of farmland, as well as $641,875 in farm equipment.
His widow Nancy is reportedly listed as the estate executor and was given permission to enter the settlement agreement on January 22 of this year.
“..it is understood that claimants alleged a claim for damages in excess of the amounts paid or to be paid and the released parties dispute the extend of damages,” a settlement and release agreement reads. “however, this Release is executed as a compromise settlement of a disputed claim, liability for which is expressly denied by the parties released and the payment of the above sum does not constitute an admission of liability on the part of any person or entity.”
On Tuesday, Soules’ sentencing in his criminal case was delayed again, as both the defense and prosecution both requested a new pre-sentencing investigation, which was granted by the judge.
Soules’ attorneys did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
RELATED: Chris Soules Pleads Guilty in April 2017 Fatal Car Crash Case, Faces Misdemeanor Charge
In November 2018, the Bachelor alum entered a conditional guilty plea.
According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE at the time, Soules “entered a plea of guilty to the crime of: Leaving the Scene of an Accident Resulting in Serious Injury, an aggravated misdemeanor.”
In the documents, the State of Iowa moved to amend the trial information — to charge Soules with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in serious injury — and Soules “filed a written guilty plea to the amended charge, conditioned his plea of guilty upon the court’s acceptance of the terms of the parties’ plea agreement.”
But, “if the court rejects the plea agreement, the defendant will be afforded the opportunity to withdraw his guilty plea,” the documents state.
According to his written conditional guilty plea, the aggravated misdemeanor charge “carries a maximum penalty of imprisonment of not more than two (2) years and/or by a fine of not more than six thousand two hundred and fifty dollars ($6,250.00) and a minimum penalty of a fine of six hundred twenty-five dollars ($625.00) along with a suspended jail sentence or a deferred judgment.”
RELATED: Chris Soules Returns to Instagram Almost One Year After Fatal Car Crash
On April 25, 2017, Soules was arrested at 1:16 a.m. after a deadly car crash in Iowa, where he lives. According to the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office, Soules was charged with leaving the scene of the fatal car accident that eventually killed Mosher.
Soules was arrested after he crashed his truck into a tractor, running it off the road into a ditch. Mosher was mortally injured. While Soules did call 911 and render aid he then left the scene before police arrived. His vehicle was later found at a home that he was present at, and Soules allegedly refused to leave until officers obtained a search warrant several hours later.
In his written conditional guilty plea, Soules detailed the crash and admitted his wrongdoing to not providing his vehicle’s registration number to police.
“By way of factual basis, I hereby state that on or about April 24, 2017 in Buchanan County, Iowa, I was driving a vehicle that was involved in an accident resulting in serious injury to another person. I knew the accident occurred and knew it resulted in an injury to another person,” wrote Soules. “Though I immediately stopped, called 911 and identified myself, and rendered reasonable aid to the injured person — including requesting an ambulance and administering CPR while the ambulance was en route — I acknowledge I did not provide the registration number of the vehicle I was driving to 911 dispatch or law enforcement as required by Iowa Code 321.263.”
By leaving the scene he violated the Iowa code that states: “If the accident causes the death of a person, all surviving drivers shall remain at the scene of the accident except to seek necessary aid or to report the accident to law enforcement authorities.”
After entering a not guilty plea in May 2017 to the charge, Soules’ legal team filed a motion to dismiss the “failure to remain” charge on constitutional grounds, refuting the last sentence of the Iowa state code.
The attorneys said in court documents obtained by PEOPLE that “because Mr. Soules indisputably stopped his vehicle, returned to the injured driver, contacted law enforcement, provided aid to the injured driver, arranged for medical treatment for the injured driver, remained until emergency personnel responded to the injured party, and provided identification data, the State’s charge must be dismissed.”
Their request to dismiss was denied in January 2018 before being brought to the Iowa Supreme Court. That February, multiple outlets reported that an Iowa Supreme Court had denied an appeal.
Soules placed third on Andi Dorfman‘s season of The Bachelorette in 2014 before starring on season 19 of The Bachelor in 2015. Dubbed “Prince Farming,” he gave his final rose to nurse Whitney Bischoff, to whom he was engaged for six months.
“This is a very sad situation,” Bischoff told PEOPLE in a statement after her ex’s arrest. “I’m keeping everyone in my thoughts and prayers, especially the victim and his family.”