ABC/Craig SjodinAs Chris Soules' arrest for allegedly leaving the scene of a deadly crash plays out in the public spotlight, new questions are being raised about reality TV's token "Prince Farming."
A born and raised Iowan, the 35-year-old fourth-generation farmer was packaged early on in his Bachelor stardom as an all-American male. In the words of host Chris Harrison, "a hard-working blue collar guy," as he told People.
As he achieved a level of fame, his native community noticed. "When Chris was on The Bachelor, it was all very exciting; no one in town had ever been on TV before. I mean, other farmers who'd never even heard of the show would watch him every Monday night," a local source told E! News. "After the show ended and Chris moved back home, he'd sometimes get asked for a selfie or an autograph. To my knowledge, he always said yes. He was very gracious about the whole thing."
However, three years after his first reality turn as one of Andi Dorfman's suitors on Season 10 of The Bachelorette, his legal history is being examined under a microscope.
In the course of 12 years, he has been found guilty of five speeding violations, with the court dismissing a sixth in 2006. He was fined for a stop sign violation in 2002, as well as a defective brakes fine that had been amended from a leaving the scene violation. There were two additional violations for unlawful use of a license and illegal parking in 2002 and 2003 respectively.
He pleaded guilty to possession of alcohol underage twice in 2001 and pleaded guilty to operating a vehicle while intoxicated in 2006.
While the ongoing investigation has not determined whether or not Soules was under the influence during the car crash, the Iowa State Patrol told E! News Soules' blood alcohol level at the time of the accident may be hard to determine considering his blood was taken five hours later.
Meanwhile, a source on his management team told E! News rehab is not on his mind right now.
"We'll have to see how this plays out, but at this time, Chris is not thinking about rehab. He's not an alcoholic. He had open containers in his car, not in his belly," the source said. "All these farmers drive around with open containers. He had a DUI over a decade ago. Just because it was late at night does not mean he was drinking. Considering the charge was leaving the scene-there is no reason for him to consider rehab. It was a tragic accident, but it was an accident."
Despite his legal record and uncertainties swirling around the circumstances of the crash, one source close to the farmer maintains that he was liked in their close-knit Aurora community.
"He's not the type of guy to cause trouble around town," one insider who knows Soules told E! News. "That's not his style. He's a good feeler. He loves people. But, he certainly likes to have a good time."
"You've got to understand that in a small town in Iowa, you pretty much know about everybody and, if you don't know everybody, you know who they're related to or something about them. And Chris is very outgoing and loves people, so he knows a lot of people," the source continued. "It's cool knowing him. He's a neat guy."
The community is so small that he even knew the late Mosher—in fact, they were neighbors.
"[The Moshers] know the Soules," the victim's neighbor Richard Roepke told E! News. "They are both long-term farmers with their roots here in Buchanan and Fayette County, so that's what makes it even more difficult is that they are over-the-fence neighbors."
As authorities continue to investigate what transpired between these neighbors Monday night, new 911 audio has been released, revealing that Soules called in the emergency himself before he left the scene.
According to the audio obtained by E! News, he identified himself by name and told the operator he had rear-ended Mosher's tractor trailer.
"I can't tell," he told the operator when asked if Mosher was breathing. "Doesn't appear to be."
He also checked Mosher's pulse and told the operator he had one. However, Soules asked the operator if he could call back before hanging up and, according to later audio from the police dispatch call, a voice was heard saying they saw Soules leave the scene in a red truck. He was later located at his family home.
Since being taken into custody late Monday, Soules posted his $10,000 bail on Tuesday and a preliminary hearing was set for May 2.
"I feel bad for everyone involved," the local source added. "I can't imagine what Chris is feeling, or what Kenneth's family is feeling. The whole thing is just so, so tragic."
—Reporting by Alli Rosenbloom & Taylor Bryant