Judge rejects ‘Bachelor’ star’s fatal accident law challenge

DES MOINES, IOWA » An Iowa farmerturned-reality television star is fighting to avoid prison after driving his pickup into the back of a tractor and killing a neighbor.

Chris Soules, who became known as “Prince Farming” during his 2015 appearance on “The Bachelor” and also appeared on “The Bachelorette” and “Dancing With The Stars,” lost a legal battle Friday in the felony case against him.

A judge dismissed his constitutional challenge to an Iowa law requiring the surviving driver in a fatal accident to remain at the scene until police arrive.

Soules rear-ended a farm tractor driven by Kenneth Mosher on a rural northern Iowa road just after sunset on April 24. Mosher died soon after at a hospital.

The accident sent the tractor Mosher was driving and Soules’ pickup into ditches on opposite sides of the road. Soules called 911 and identified himself, administered CPR to Mosher and remained at the scene until emergency personnel arrived. But before law enforcement could arrive, Soules was driven home.

One of Soules’ attorneys, Brandon Brown, said in a statement Soules did everything he could to assist Mosher. Brown said the Iowa Supreme Court has never considered whether the actions he took could rightfully be punished as a “hit and run.”

“Mr. Soules and his attorneys vigorously disagree with the judge’s ruling and plan to appeal to give the Iowa Supreme Court the opportunity to review this important issue,” Brown said.

Soules was arrested at 1:16 the next morning at his home near Arlington, 12 miles northeast of the accident scene. Sheriff’s reports indicate he declined to let officers into his house until after they obtained a search warrant.

He was charged with failure to remain