“American Idol” runner-up Willie Spence was killed in a car accident on Tuesday afternoon. He was just 23 years old.
Fox News Digital can confirm Spence died following an accident in Jasper, Tennessee, a community in Marion County.
The preliminary accident report from Tennessee Highway Patrol says a tractor-trailer was stopped on the shoulder of Interstate 24 East at Mile Marker 147. According to the report, the 23-year-old Georgia native’s Jeep Cherokee left the roadway around 4 p.m. and collided into the back of the tractor-trailer.
Lt. Bobby Clevenger tells Fox News Digital, “He hit the back of the tractor-trailer. The medical examiner was called from the scene… it was DOA at the scene.”
Willie Spence was a runner-up on “American Idol.”
(Eric McCandless/ABC)
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The driver of the tractor-trailer, 68, was uninjured.
Just hours prior, Spence had shared a video of himself singing in the car on Instagram.
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In wake of the tragic news, an official statement was shared on the “American Idol” Instagram.
“We are devastated about the passing of our beloved American Idol family member, Willie Spence. He was a true talent who lit up every room he entered and will be deeply missed. We send our condolences to his loved ones,” it reads.
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This story is developing.
